Haylands

Hi Heated seats are a well known issue, usually best to replace the pads with generic ones. Wet boot is another well known problem. could be sunroof drain pipe, this passes down behind the o/s side boot liner, people blow them through with an airline when blocked and this can blow the pipes off, if not it's usually the boot seal, search for threads on here people have had success with different methods... Good Luck, oh and about the Jag..... wouldn't touch one with a barge pole, In my opinion total and utter waste of time and space, three mates love them and all they do is spend spend spend just to keep them going, if it's not breaking its falling off and if it doesn’t fall off it rusts.... I've never seen one with all things working and personally for me they are just too small inside.... anyway horses for courses.... Pete

Hi Welcome to the club, Best place is ebay, loads being broken, personally I'd fit the original one as it was designed for the system... Pete

Hi If you are going to spend 8-9 grand on a car like the 430 you have to expect to pay large amounts if it goes wrong.... The car cost 60,000 when new, it's not a fiesta Lose the keys and it's £3000 Four tyres £650 Major service £500 Cam belt at 100,000 and 10,000 service at the same time nearly £1000 Air bag £400 The list goes on and on.... they are very reliable cars much better than most, had mine for 18mths did over 20,000miles and nothing broke.... still cost a fair bit in service, tyres etc If you can't aford to pay the above then you will not enjoy owning the car, shuddering when every squeek rattle or groan happens is not a nice feeling.... Perhaps you should set your sights a bit lower.... by a top of the range Avensis or something similar.... Pete

Hi Don't know I'm afraid, I've fitted a Kenwood DVD SAT NAV touch screen thingy to my Verso and you can get an interface so the steering wheel buttons work, maybe someone has done one for the 400..... try the US site they love the 400 more than we do and what you can get there is amasing.... Good Luck Pete

Hi They do do a surround and fitting kit.... try this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1995-2000-L...Q5fInstallation Pete

When a dealer buys in a car they give it a value to them, this has little to do with what they paid for it, more to do with what they think it is worth at the time. The car will sit for a few months losing value until a manager decides to revalue the car, then the price is lowered. If you want to buy one, be firm, offer a price and stick to it, give them your number and ask them to speak to the dealer principle about it.... you will get a good deal. Mind you if you want a late model Lexus at the moment go to the auctions, the prices are just silly, the dealers don't want them and nor do the independents, we are talking £5000 cheaper on a £20000 car than they were 6 months ago, still with manufacturers warranty so you only have to check for cosmetics... Great time to buy... mind you leave it a few months and they will probably get even cheaper.... Pete

Hi I think you mean, can the aerial go down on it's own when listening to the cd or tape.... don't know I'm afraid, I know the early ones did,,,,, anyone with a later one know?? Pete

Hi What you are peeling back then is in fact the layers of paint that were originally sprayed on, it has a plasticiser in it so it will withstand stone chips better, problem was Lexus only painted the front of the wheels and just clear coated the back, a couple of salty British winters and they start to look naff. I don't think there was actually a recall it's just that they knew of the problem and were quite good at putting money towards replacement, some people with full history at a particular garage had them changed as a good will gesture... I got refurbed ones for my 430 from Lexus for the same price as the guy on eBay is asking, had to pay extra for fitting and balancing but go in and have a word with the service manager, if he is having a good day you will get a good deal... Good Luck Pete

Hi Is that better

Hi Title reads trims not wheels..... If this is the center plastic trims you are talking about they will not be included with the wheels, see the guys FAQ. The center trims are very expensive, new about £180 a set, may be worth getting a spray shop to paint them, thats how they were originally.. Pete

Well done u so guess i wont recognise u now Hi No, you probably will, still just as dashingly handsome just thinner..... Not quite as cool though as the new car doesn't have a fridge........ Pete

Hi Please see the attached anti tappet device.... very simple to use, turn knob shown clockwise about a 1/4 turn and your tappet noise will disappear as if by magic Pete

Hi Try this link, it does take practice to get a nice finish, also lots of patience, don't rush it and let it dry well between coats..... http://www.paintscratch.com/spraycan.htm Good Luck Pete

Hi all Thank you all for your kind thoughts, yes the add on autotrader was mine, only remembered to take it off this morning after another call, thats 12 people in a week who wanted it plus 8 canvassers.... wish I had a few more.... Trudy, thanks for the calendar.... my god I was a Fat Bast**d then.... I've lost 4 1/2 stone since and look a lot better for it.... still a couple more to lose and I'll blow away in the wind!!!!!! I will still be around and if anyone thinks I can help let me know.... Pete

No read first post "ONLY the destination input was allowed, NO phone or audio input." Pete

Hi Well done it looks great, whats that black dot on the bumper.... Pete

Hi Mind you I might have a go at making one of these.... I could use the airbags to raise the car 2 feet so I can get in..... Pete

I'll agree it does look lovely in that colour but having done back to back with my brothers 91 LS400 I can confirm that you can save yourself thousands and you will not "feel" any different. If you shut your eyes in his it's just like "mine" (there youv'e got me at it now) but don't do it for long as your passengers start screaming...... Anyway any opportunity to get some pics up of the best 91 400 around Pete

Hi I've got an IS 220d...... engine in a Toyota Verso.... well it's the 136bhp version but I have chipped it and it's now about 170bhp and 360nm so it pulls like a train.... I've also fitted a touchscreen Kenwood sat nav dvd thingy... so with all the other bits as standard on it it ain't that far behind the Lexus.... Cruise, dual climate, elec everything, traction control (needed now it will spin it's wheels in 3rd!!!) stability control, brake assist, keyless, I had to change for medical reasons see here for full details I was quite proud of the satnav install.... The surround is the one Toyota use for their £2000+ sat nav it needed a lot of modification to fit as the hole in it is far too wide and the edges are too rounded to look good. Anyway it started out looking something like this (this isn't my car and the stereo is the wrong one but you get the idea) I then took the radio and heater panel out, it's very easy, took about 10mins Then set about modifying the surround, I stuck some pieces of plastic to the sides of the hole to make the hole smaller then used fiberglass paste and filler to finish it off I then fitted the Kenwood head unit in with the original brackets that fix the Toyota radio and fitted the new surround (the screen looks terrible in the photo, it got a bit bleached out, it is in fact excellent with a very wide viewing angle) Despite numerous tries I could not match the silver of the dash right, it's actually slightly golden in colour, so I came up with this, mat black around the stereo and silver at the top. Looks OK to me.... I now have a touch screen stereo with good reception, it is also a Garman SatNav with safety camera alerts, a DVD player, an IPod interface that plays music and films, a hands free Bluetooth phone kit, it will also support a rear view camera and additional screens if you want them. It works with the original steering wheel controls as well... So it ain't no Lexus and it doesn't have a fridge (save you asking steve!!!) but it will do for me..... Pete Mind you I have been looking at a cheap Soarer for the weekend, just got to work out how to get in one!!!!!

Hi I think you are right, when I updated my LS430's 2001 sat nav disc in 2007 the new one had a slightly different "I Agree" screen, I took the new disc out to copy it "for backup purposes your worship" and put the old one back in and the revised "I Agree" screen was still there.... so if you can borrow a disc it should work well..... Pete

Either way become a gold member and get your subscription back on that service alone..... Pete

I got it from an established dealer who had internet access to check vehicles, he checked it via the VIN number as I watched...... I just sold it today, the new owner didn't bother, I gave him the vin over the phone and told him to check it but I must have a trusting face because he was happy not to.... Pete

Hi Just stood in the road watching those beautiful rear lights flicker as the new owner got to the bottom of the road, saw the car majestically turn the corner, saw two puffs of steam from the stainless exhaust trims, just heard the silky smooooooth V8 purr as he lent on the throttle and then in the blink of an eye she was gone..... . Never to be clay bar'd again, never to spend all day detailing it so it looked like new, never to sit in that cosseting sumptuous leather seat and be surrounded by crystal clear music wafting from the 11 Mark Levinson speakers, never to bury the throttle and hit 60 in 6 seconds whilst listing to a sound like tearing silk, never to have so many buttons that I don't know what to do with them..... Truly the end of an era for me.... So we went to Cleethorpes and had fish and chips on the seafront and I'm much better now..... We all like a picture so here are a few taken just before it left.... It's gone to live near Lincoln.... Pete

Hi Well if that's the case I'm glad, I had occasion to use one of these low cost sites a few years ago when they first started and the information from them was pathetic, I have a mate who works for Equifax but he was away and I needed a check. When he came back he checked it and there was loads of stuff that never came up... He looked into a few of these sites and found that they were buying information from companies like Equifax but only very basic details i.e. just info on the reg number... I suppose as time has passed they have sorted their act out better and maybe we can rely a bit more on their info.... Just don't take it as gospel and ask for proof... As you mentioned about the full service history.... if it looks dodgy walk away... and remember, if it looks too good to be true it probably is!!!! Pete

Hi 7j and 8j are the rim width in inches, what size tyres have you got on your original wheels? You will only get a reduction in ride quality if you reduce the depth of the sidewall, not the width of the tyre.... Pete Hi Pete, as I understand it, my tyres (Michelin 245-45-18) are recommended to ideally fit 8j. According to the Michelin Technical guide, they will fit 7j wheels, but the ride will be compromised (Compressing the tyre into a horseshoe shape). My original tyres are nearly 'as new' (£800 ish) so you can understand my reluctance to change tyres. I'll take some photos and post on the Buy & Sell forum and if no takers, back onto 'the bay' Shame as they really are a nice set of rims. Graham. Graham Yes you are right 245 is the WIDEST tyre advisable on 8inch rims 225-235 is shown as ideal.... 7inch rims have a maximum of 225.... What a shame they look like nice wheels.... I got a set of Lexus approved reconditioned wheels for mine for £280 the set with a fair bit of haggling, they are better than new as they have been powder coated all over, the problem with the original ones is that they paint the outside but just lacquer the bare alloy on the inside, our salty roads just eat through it and it looks awful.... maybe worth a try at the dealers... This place will also recon your old wheels but your car will be off the road jacked up on bricks for a while!!!! http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/0121-Service-Exchang...A1%7C240%3A1318 Good Luck Pete