finest1

Hi all, I always wanted a sporty car, I think we all do. comparing models and makes, a used ISF still comes up value for money. however, is it just crazy owning a car like this in todays economic climate. by this I mean, the tax is about £535 a year, cost of maintenance, any repairs that might come up in an 08/09 model, insurance (im 44 years old) I can't see a resale value in this car, so if I buy one, im stuck with it, with little resale value. then we hear that congestion charge in London going up for certain cars. possibility of a congestion charge on the north circular A406!. you can apply this to any V8 car over the last 10 years. I've even contemplated getting an aston martin if the running costs are going to be the same!!! i'd like your opinions on this and what your thoughts are thanks

hi all, on Monday morning I had a VSC come on. after the car warmed up and I drove it. I went off. no problem. Tuesday morning VSC light on all day. because im in local traffic im just pottering along. no issues with the car. drives normal. no strange noises Wednesday morning VSC light still on. again driving to work, no issues. I did accelerate where I can and the car still had the same pull. in the afternoon I managed to run an OBD scan. results attached. 16:00 park up at gym. 19:00 I get into car to go home, no VSC warning! drove home, no issues, car performing the way it normally does. last weekend I did a motorway run for 20 mins, nothing too abnormal. not sure if its anything to do with the cold snap. obviously i'll see what happens tomorrow morning. in case photo does not work codes are: P0300, P0301, P0303, P0102, P0113. I did a quick check on google, but doesn't really explain much. I was wondering if any of you had this and what do the codes translate to thanks very much in advance finest1

hi texas, yes, speaking to the auto electrician he said that generally Lexus are well built cars, with very little issues. when there is an issue it can be diagnosed quickly. in the 8 years I've had the car this is the only major issue I've ever had where the car broke down on me. in my case there was no warning at all, it just konked out. he actually kept the old diodes shoe to show me where it had slowly burnt out. yes the repairs could have been a joke, but both ways I needed an auto electrician to give me a report as to what is going on before making a decision. he was really informative, no dramas, honest and upfront. he's definitely someone im going to use in the future!! when I asked him if this would happen again, he said there is no guarantees on any car at any age. for this to be the only major incident in the 8 years of this car, im fortunate!

thanks dan, yes, I was hoping for someone more local

hi all, I thought I'd give you an update: the diodes on my alternator had slowly started to burn out over the years. this overloaded the secondary fuse box and caused a short circuit. so it was the relationship between the alternator and the actual fuse box. I must say the auto electrician was brilliant! he also reconditioned the alternator for me. car is purring again this morning!! the actual cause: wear and tear, he highlighted the fact that the car is 12 years old and parts would age. thanks for your contributions

thanks Herbie, that's what the AA guy done. he boosted the battery for a while, but car wouldn't start. I got an auto engineer coming tomorrow, i'll update you how it goes

thanks Hadrian, AA guy checked earthing around battery and from alternator, it passed not sure if its battery, as the battery indicator never lit up previous to this event. it usually does in the past. the AA guy checked battery also. furthermore a work colleague helped me by attaching booster cables, for 15 mins

hi all, I was driving to work as normal and I noticed the electric displays in the car getting "dim." I was in local traffic and noticed the car battery light come on to. then the sat nav screen went off and I assumed it was the battery. the illuminated dials went off too. strangely when I accelerated the displays came back. anyway later the car had actually switched off whilst driving, no engine no electrics. I managed to coast to the side of the road. actions: I called the AA and the chap did his diagnostic. in his opinion there is no mechanical failures of the alternator or starrer motor. he said its electrical. because this was beyond his capabilities, he advised me to find an auto electrician. further to this when he went to attach the OBD scanner, it couldn't read the port, or maybe no power going into the port. I'd thought I'd post this in case anyone has experienced this or can lend a hand in troubleshooting. i'll list some observations when you push the start button only the dials illuminates with the dashboard, no sat nav screen. the brake pedal is hard not soft and car wont turn over yes: front headlights hazard lights dash display no: sat nav screen radio central locking power mirrors rear light brake lights any ideas welcome!! thanks in advance

hi all, I got a bugbear to share with you. I was on the M4 and M25 last weekend. we went through a patch of roadworks that had average speed cameras set at 50MPH. while I felt was a good time to check and use my cruise control set at 50, other cars are overtaking me. do these cars get a ticket or penalty. its just frustrating cruising at 50 but others are not. just annoying really... so what's the deal with it?

thanks for taking the time to make this tutorial ! how long would you say the task took?

hi all, my car is covered in very light scratches, hazing and swirl marks. does anyone know any good detailers in the north London area they would recommend?

hi all, update: can't hear the rattle when starting up. next oil change I will request engine flush. as it happens, do any of you do your own oil change? is there any tutorials/videos that show how to do this properly? thanks

yeah about those shims, somehow I don't think this is correct, it doesn't look right...does it? http://www.yam6carparts.co.uk/genuine-new-lexus-is250350-gs-hybrid-front-brake-pad-shim-kit-04945-30350-322-p.asp

ok, lexus changed the oil for me at the time (they gave me an intermediate service for £99!) not sure if they flushed the engine though. ok, so it should iron itself out. good to know thanks!

ive seen a lexus shim kit for £34. is that any good. if I went with the anti squeal pad or tape where do I place these exactly?

thanks for the replies!

hi all, I went to lexus woodford yesterday to get the recall done on my air bag. they did a vehicle inspection. they told me that my VVT rattles on startup. they said it wasn't nothing to worry about but would charge £180 to investigate. what is it and is it something I need to be concerned about thanks in advance finest1

hi all, I went to lexus woodford yesterday to get the recall done on my airbags. they did a vehicle inspection. they told me brakes were fine but no shims?? when I left I was wondering if that is why my brakes squeal at really low speed? also, when my brakes were changed last year, the mechanic would have put the shims back on. I remember looking at the floor when he finished, there was nothing left over. should I look to get these shims? thanks finest1

hi all, I hope you've had a great BH ! I noticed today my electric seats (driver) makes a very loud noise when sliding forwards and backwards. the way I can explain it, is it "struggles" almost like a battery driven power tool struggles as the battery loses power. I've inspected the tracks and squirted some WD40 on it. it didn't calm the sound down. compared to the passenger side which is silent and fast when adjusting. anyone know what this is and how to remedy? car: lexus IS250 SE-L thanks in advance finest!

hi all is300h F-sport, do they come in 18" tyres. I remember when they first came out I read on the spec list it was 17", but lately I have seen a good few on the road (13-15 reg) with what I think were wider tyres. going on autotrader it shows up as 18" tyres configuration what tyres you got?

thanks for all your replies. brakes are still squealing. @normski2no, didn't do the upstream. car is running really well though when I visit my sister I will do the brakes then, I use her garage

hi, I tried the above. the car eventually just stops, no jerks or sudden stops. did it on a flat road.

thanks for the replies. just to give you some feedback: I carefully moved the mirror by hand up and down. you will hear a grating noise which sounds worse than it is. I then went inside the car and flicked the L and R mirror switch back and forth a few times. I then put the car on and put in reverse. the mirrors tilted. so I then put the car in park and moved it with the cursor. it worked. but this weekend it went sticky again, so not exactly a fix, but did get it moving again. @Comedian that's a great tip! agree it is not in the manual. I always wondered why it wouldn't tilt fully and how does I cater for taller or shorter people. now we know!! how on earth did you work that out??

ok I will give this a try I've had the car since 2010. I'm not sure when the pins were checked. it had a service with lexus in july this year

thanks all, @is200newbie he did check for seized calliper when he changed the front disks. he also checked the rear for seized and found no indication. he also asked to drive slowly down a slope in neutral. if it doesn't roll freely then I have seized caliper. I tried it and it rolled fine