new boy

Cheers. What I am trying to say is does the cabin look impressive lit up at night.

My Merc isn't great because you can't make the buttons bright enough.

The cabin is fine at night and quite impresive the foot wells are also illuminated which enhances the overall great looks. - Merv

just wondering after my paintwork has dried up, is it safe to use compounds and stuff for detailing like T-Cut and stuff?

why do you need to use that.

just incase i get any fine scratch marks or anything in the future that might need detailing

can't see a problem with that as the body shop would have machine polished it after painting anyway.

I assume they did use polish (not sure if it was machine or not). I did notice whitish polish like stuff in some edges that i wiped off, I am assuming that is the polish. Just wondering what exactly polish does and wont it come off over time as car is getting washed?

polish is used as the last stage after they have sanded the clearcoat.the leftover white powder is dried polish that has not been buffed off.you have to be careful about bird waste as now there is no protection on your paint,carlack it asap.

So the polish they do is not a protection? and what exactly do you mean by "carlack it" ? once the new paint and lacquer has had two weeks to dry off isnt it just like the rest of the paintwork in terms of vulnerability? as it is a new paint job I want to try and avoid any discolouring or anything going wrong with the paintwork

yes just as the rest of your paint ,no protection at all.carlack is an acrylic sealant.visit carsparkle.com for details.

That's interesting I didnt know that. So my entire body paintwork is not protected. When i wash my car I usually use a Shampoo product by Turtle Wax and it claims to be a wax and shampoo or something, So i thought that also provides the protection. How exactly do you use carlack? is it s replacement of this shampoo during wash and I just use carlack instead?

you apply with a damp cloth or foam applicator let it cure as instructions then buff off with microfibre towel.it is basically poviding a sealant for your clearcoat protecting against bird waste,acid rain and pollution.

Read the guides on the ceanyourcar.co.uk site plus my reply to the next topic in this thread - Merv

Have a look at the guides in cleanyourcar.co.uk a great site with a good forum plus lots of info from very experienced people. Be warned the array of products available will blow your mind but basically for a car with paint work in good condition it is :-

Wash & Rinse

clay

Wash & Rinse

Seal

Wax

Then admire the many hours work you have spent making your car look ace.

Merv

Well I now have owned my IS220d SE-L MM S/r for just under two weeks. I must say I am over the moon with it in every respect. I have as off this evening clocked up just over a thousand miles thus far. It was todays trip that made me write this post.

For months now I have like many others taken on board what others have said about the IS220d. I must say that the MPG figures that most people where quoting concerned me bought never changed my decision to buy the car.

Today I had a business trip which took me to Cardiff for a couple of calls. I thought I would use this chance to see what all the fuss was about regarding MPG figures quoted on this site. Most people have stated that a simple change in driving habits should yield good results.

What I did what simply stick to the speed limits which was a big adjustment for me. I drove at a steady 74 mph from Sunbury all the way to Cardiff mostly using the cruise control and relaxed and enjoyed some music on my MM. Once in Cardiff I had four companies to see in and around the CBD. I did the same on the way back but was caught in 20min off standing traffic on the M4 just before the M25. I soon got home.

What I say next is just my two pence worth on the MPG issue. I did not buy this car with the intention to suck every MPG out off the fuel that i put in it nor did I buy it to race around England either. Today however all I did was obay the law and take a more relaxed drive and actully felt better for it at the end off the day.

I have attached a photo I took with my Phone just before I got off the M25 5 miles from my house. I took this picture to show all the people who knock the IS220D what can be done if one is willing to drive within the speed limits and resist the tempataion to floor it all the time. Please take note off the fuel level, rev counter, speed and the TANK MPG AVERAGE figure for my trip. I was AMAZED and very pleased.

:D :D :D

I guess from the photo you do not have a problem in 6th gear at 70 mph and above. I have found that 6th can be used providing the road is reasonably free from inclines. Your mpg has set a new challenge for me, are you using bog standard diesel. Merv

Collected my brand new IS 220d Sport this morning (the door sticker says 220SE!). Black with black interior.

Absolutely delighted. Surprised that it had a full tank of fuel, I probably paid for it in the delivery charge.

I had a sport diesel for a good test drive and was happy with it. Having driven other diesels I think this one is very quiet, and if it intrudes into the cabin the audio will blow it away. Having ordered the car, got mighty depressed with all the comments about fuel economy and 5th injector issues. Still my last car only gave me 20mpg so this has got to be an improvement.

The brochure goes nowhere near to explaining all the little toys including heated wiper elements in the windscreen.

So as far as day one is concerned, deep joy. Tomorrow it is getting the carnuba wax treatment. :)

well done on your purchase,let me just say you would be better off using the carlacke system first then wax as this will protect against paint burns caused by bird droppings,the wax alone will not.

The dealer treated it with supaguard inside and out, hope that gives me decent protection.

I am sure you will love your new car I have the SE and I like mine. Supaguard will last no longer than two weeks three at best, quite poor really. You will be better using carlack nano as suggested followed by two or more coats of good quality wax. If possible do not wax for 12 hours after applying carlack this allows it to cure and harden. Merv

I am looking to buy a bike carrier to fit onto the back of my Lex, having very little success in searching the web but I am not very experienced at this. Could anyone advise me as to where I can get a reasonable quality carrier. I have managed to find those which fit onto a tow bar and roof but I feel the roof ones would effect the performance of the car (mpg)

Merv

Hello all i am thinking of changing My 2000 plated IS200 Sport for

a IS220d about 1-2 year old, but after looking at the Forum in the IS220D and 250 section

the bad vibes on here ref the diesel, I am thinking crikey are they really that Bad.

Gear ratio problems

MPG

Injector problems

Have Lexus really got it that wrong with a diesel version??

Is there anyone that thinks it is worth me getting

I am up and down the M42/M6 south everyday for work with a round trip of

46 mile per day

Advice needed please as it is a big commitment for me to make.

My experiance of Lexus so far has been real wow factor My IS200 has served me well with Little maintenance

cost with 146k on clock, but high Fuel usage.

Matt

Mattstheone

I have a 220d is SE and I am very happy with it, had it from new only done 4k miles. Just returned from a weekend in the Lake District, because of the bad weather spent one day out in the car driving over 2 passes and on many slow winding roads in low gears. In total we covered about 400 miles at an average of 42 MPG. On the way home a lot of the time I was in 6th gear at 75 ish MPH. All in all I do not consider this bad at all, having said that this is my first diesel and I will always contend that a good petrol engine will never be out done. Just for the record I travel a little over 12 miles to work on A and B raods and average 40 + MPG. Merv

Your wife

wouldnt trust her :D

Shoggy joking aside I use dashboard wipes I find them as good as anything. You can get them at Halfords but make sure you get the matt ones. If you want more advise on detailing have a look at

www.cleanyourcar.co.uk Merv

Your wife

Welcome along Matt lots of good info on this site enjoy - Merv

A call to the service manager may be required or Hello Teesside.

Infinity.....

It may be worth asking Hodson Toyoya (Silverlink) for a quote. I have had a number of Toyotas and they have always proved to be competive. I mentioned this when I asked about service costs when I was considering a purchase at Lexus Newcastle, it was quietly sugested that I get a quote from Hodsons and then challenge Lexus Newcastle for a price match.

Update; I called Lexus Teesside and they quoted me £170 all in including fluids and VAT for a 10k service - 30% cheaper than Newcastle. I've booked it in there and cancelled with Newcastle.

Northern Boys - I would say you have got yourself a very good deal at Teesside I will keep that in mind for when I am due a service - Merv

I know this has been covered before but.

Shopping around for a decent price for the 20k service on my 18 month old

IS250 SEL Auto i found some wildly varying prices.

My local dealer Newcastle £416.00

Teesside £253.00

Carlisle £290 inc vat

All include all parts and labour so why the vast difference at the Newcastle dealer

is it because they know i'm local and would prefer not to travel elsewhere

or are they just more expensive. They are obviously also owned by different companies.

I may be labouring under the misapprehension that all dealers applied the

same or similar charges for the same services, is this correct or not ?

A call to the service manager may be required or Hello Teesside.

Infinity.....

It may be worth asking Hodson Toyoya (Silverlink) for a quote. I have had a number of Toyotas and they have always proved to be competive. I mentioned this when I asked about service costs when I was considering a purchase at Lexus Newcastle, it was quietly sugested that I get a quote from Hodsons and then challenge Lexus Newcastle for a price match.

Looks cracking - enjoy - Merv

997,088

Have a good one :tsktsk: - Merv

Once again Tango thanks for information, it is without question know your stuff. Little did I expect my query to spark of such a debate. Also a very interesting link by Tango and well worth a read.

Thanks for that Tango - education is a wonderful thing - Merv

Can anyone tell me what the “IS” stands for in the 220/250 model name. - Merv :

Well i could take it no longer and have sold my 220d. The problems i had and the locking problems in particular and the very poor mpg in my opinion is very poor for Lexus i have now bought a Honda civic Type r which returns more mpg around town than the lex and have had no problems at all as yet unlike the lex. I wish you all the best with your dilemas and hope you see sense in the end best regards Neo...

A sad reflection on Lexus which is considered a prestige motor car, lets hope the company takes such poor quality on board and puts changes in place to return to the "pursuit of perfection. Good luck with your new car - Merv

hi im looking for a decent polish for my car - i have been looking at some polish from http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Mobile-Auto-Care but im not 100% sure yet, i have heard of autoglym but are there any other products you might reccommend to me?

chris

Have a look at http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk disscusion forum and the guides lots of good advise from enthusiastic detailers - Merv

Happened to me a number of times, all in the same place!!! Bloody annoying...

Once your in its fine as you can put the fob right next to the Start button and it works... but getting in can be a challenge...

I found myself moving round the car pressing the fob like a mad man, eventually it worked...

Didnt even realise that there was a proper key hole under a cover on the handle, did wonder what the key was for though!!!

Caspa for info

The boot can be isolated from within the glove box and then locked with the key should you need to leave valuables in the boot. Handy if for instance you park your car at an airport when it is taken away and parked by staff of the parking company.

Merv

if you polish too often then u will reduce the thickness of the laquer ( you have metallic paint - except for the bonnet) for a long lasting detergent proof wax get a can of collinite 476 - it lasts for years

rob where can you get collinite 476 from? im using carnuba wax P21s at the moment anf klasse acrillic sealent before that.

Have a look at http://cleanyourcar.co.uk lots of good advise from experts - read the guides Merv

Hi All

Can anyone confirm the correct tire pressures for my 250 SE on Std 17" rims?

The manual says 41 psi front and 44 psi rear, just seems quite high to me.

Cheers

I run mine as Sagitar states 35 psi Front and 38 psi Rear this was taken from chart on door pillar - Merv

Dear All,

Thank you for the comments you provided me with on my Decisions Decisions post the other day - I thought long and hard and have made the decision - I have bought an IS250 SE with Multimedia Pack - should be arriving Tues 4th ! it has only done 7,000 miles and came in under budget !

The Lexus Coventry dealer has worked hard to try and source the car I wanted within the budget I gave him... It's not the SE-L but at least I have the reverse camera, mark levinson soundsystem and the all important Auto box.

I look forward to getting it now and just driving it for driving sake !

Regards

Dave

I have the 220d SE and I like mine so I am sure you will love yours - enjoy :winky:

Merv

Just returned from Harrogate where the Hotel we stayed in had very limited Parking Space & the slots that were available were just wide enough if you parked dead centre!

When I parked there was no-one in the space to the left of me but that space was only suitable for a Mini as the next car to the left was well over "his" white line.Fast Forward some 8 hrs.& imagine my shock when I saw an Audi A4 Estate had squeezed into the space leaving a gap of c.6" between my n/side & his o/side!!!!!!!!!In pouring rain, I checked & could not see any damage whatsoever to my car,took his reg.no & thought I would move my car fairly early this morning & re-check my car for damage.The Audi driver could not have used either of his front doors to exit & I was surprised to find his back seat was in the upright position as this,to me,was his only possible exit/entry route.

Got up this morning,confirmed all was well with mine,went to get my cases & the Audi had gone revealing the narrow space & no damage to the car on his near-side either that had strayed over "his" line.

Close call :the Audi driver was a decent chap after all & fit as a butcher's dog to scramble from the rear hatch to the drivers seat unless you have any ideas?

Tel

I would bet that you were staying at The Swallow in Harrogate, we stayed there when my car was only one week old and I was also worried by the lack of space. We had a great weekend some good bars in the town the only down side was watching England loosing the rugby world cup.

Pleased you car was ok

Merv