Cotswold Pete

I would say give the rear arches a good poke to see what is going on, as rust sets in when you're not noticing. Possibly charge up battery and check all the electrics work (which they should) but always good to know if steering column fully works and radio etc. Car will take about 15 mins after battery re-charge to bring all the ECUs to life so that you could fire up the engine, but like already said, do not fire up until someone decent mechanic looks at it first. At its current mileage it should be fine, but the running gear may need looking at with bushes wearing and possible control arm replacement (which is the not-cheap bit). If you need a Lexus expert, I use Osaka in Newport, which is a bit of a hike south for you, but once the beast is running they are good for getting the fettling in really sorted, or Japex in High Wycombe come highly recommended.

Had something similar a long way back, was only cured with new tyres, as it was tyres which had worn oddly and were not going to play ball even when I had a full alignment done as they were never going to sit right on the road. The lesson I learnt was even with new tyres, do an alignment check every 5,000 miles (max) given state of UK roads. Try swapping fronts to rear and see if it helps. If not then is there something just flapping around. Once had a cavalier where part of bumper had come a bit loose and hummed at motorway speeds, cured with some superglue (I recall)

I was wondering if anyone has experience of using chemical metals for body repairs. My LS has got a small leak in rear arch, and I did some work on the arches about 3 years ago using Isopon P40, which worked fine, but I am wondering if using a chemical metal would be better for a tiny patch up. trouble being I have not had time/space to jack up the car and have a good poke about My experience to date is using JB Weld to rebuild on a Victorian Cast Iron Fire (which is used) and it seems to do the trick, not bothered by the heat at all. I have however come across a product called Tereson UP 130 - which seems to be available in larger amounts that JB Weld. Has anyone got any experience of Tereson. I am assuming anything that can be used to repair an exhaust (or cast iron fireplace) will be fine for sorting out a small patch of rear arch.

Had many as company cars, but always had them gone before 70,000 Miles, but they were generally reliable, certainly not wanting to die, even though I thrashed them to within an inch of their lives (that's company cars for you). When I did own my own 1.6 ltr Cav, got it to 95,000 no problems until some twerp rear ended it. I would say like most UK built cars of the 80s/90s, little things always going wrong, even from brand new

I read somewhere that the originals worked out at £250,000 to make each one. That was serious cash then (mind you still serious cash now). My kids loved watching the originals back 18 years ago, must dig them out when I have watched all of Mad Men, and Blue Planet and the other DVDs I asked for each year. Also need to put some of my Looney Tunes VCR tapes onto PC, as some of them not on newer DVDs, as I assume modern youngsters will be turning into warmongering lunatics from watching the Coyote try and dispatch the Road Runner. Then when the grand children arrive (a few years yet) I can corrupt them, just like I was when so innocent

I had Astra jab, fine for first 12 hours then OMG, woke up in middle of night and was physically shaking like a poltergeist was having a laugh. Was in bed for 24 hours, and took about 10 days in total to feeling normal. I did have Covid one year ago (hospitalised for a week), and as my Dr said it seems if you have Covid you react badly to any of the jabs. One annoying thing was where the jab was was so sore, i could not sleep on my left side for about 4 days. The missus felt slightly off colour for a day and t hen right as rain, same with mother in law, and my dad no symptoms what so ever

Just run in then. I love Honda engines, bit thirsty on short journeys, frugal on long runs, but bullet proof. My missus ran her Accord dry for a short while but the car still lasted until she hit a badger at 230K miles and decided to trade in. I reckoned the car was worth maybe £100 tops, but the dealer gave me £300 and said, it's a Honda mate. I bet that Accord is still out there somewhere, where as the X-Type replacement lasted only for 4 years (lovely free running 2 litre engine, blew at 120,000 as I recall), and the sills were more rust than you get on a 100 year old wheelbarrow

Have had a AEG double oven for 23years, now showing signs of going AWOL (mainly the seals around the triple glazed panels), so we have condensation dripping off the door. Have tried a quick fix with JB Weld (used to repair cast iron fireplace no problems), but not worked. So been looking at modern replacement, and to be frank none of them look like they are going to last 23 years (though not sure I will either). Bosch is okay, though does depend on whether Turkey or Spain is where the products made. Would love to have had the money to buy a ieile washing machine, but now on 3rd machine in 40 years (so not too bad), current one is AEG. Whenever I have taken about noisy end of life Washing machines it is seems to me that the dampers failing causes the whole shebang to start shaking itself to death, which knackers the bearings quick as you like. I always like the lack of noise a new washer makes. All this talk about a law to force repairable machines will be a little useless (IMHO) as the parts will be so expensive, as I cannot see manufactures being charitable when they cannot sell us new toys. Still as least I have a man cave littered with bits and bobs ripped out of dead appliances that might come in handy to repair who knows what in the future. Even managed to repair the ironing board so that with its new stainless steel (simple) bearing, will last way longer than John Lewis ever envisioned.

When I got my 400 (Mk4), the ATF was smelly and in need of sorting. Not because of any problems with gear changes, but it is not good to run with oil that has been sheered of it's long-chain molecules which aid lubrication at the mechanical interface. I ran it for about 16K before I got off my backside and put my hand in my pocket. I took mine to an ATF specialist in Gloucester and had the full monty - clean out the torque convertor and then fill up. Not much more than having a garage do a few oil changes over a few services. It made no noticeable difference to gear shifts, and 60K miles later (with no further ATF oil changes) the oil is starting to look a little off-colour, it does not smell as it did when I bought the car, but I reckon another 10K before I get my wallet out and do the same. Like you I had heard a full clean removes the 'junk' that helps with engagement of metal surfaces in the transmission, which I am not sure about as a theory. Any non-lubricating particulate is 'surely', not desireable. FINALLY - the garage that has done my MOTs for years, also refused to do a simple ATF drain and top up, they said not sure what was involved. Made me think back to ATF specialists and find another place to do next MOT in June

Read snippets of the blog, lots to think about if you wanted to really be an geek on the topic.. Interesting that one of his comments is that synthetic oils tend to bleed off the lifters when engine not used for a while, which then gives you 30 seconds of the car sounding not so good. The answer is to use conventional oil. If you search for '52. General Motor Oil Selection Recommendations for Various Applications' Then read on down. I am sure if I had a day or two spare, I might read this whole lot, but will just keep putting in the usual oil, get it changed at services and expect the LS to keep heading towards its 220,000th mile in the next year or two (assuming no more lock-downs).

Just been wandering around some of the other Lexus forums and came across someone saying Extralube ZX1 is a good oil addtive to cure valve rattle after the car has been stood for while. Has anyone ever put this stuff into and LS. Only reason I ask is because many a review of internet swears by it (with one or two dissenters) and say it gives a lift to MPG. I did once add some to my first LS (not Zx1) and must say did not notice any difference, but where my LS is now standing for up to month at a time have noticed a tiny bit more noise for first few minutes while the oil works its way back over the top of the engine. Any thoughts, though to be honest probably not going to use any, unless others give it a raving thumbs up.

I guess even when we all go over to EV, the criminals will find something to Nick. I remember the days when it was the DIN slot radios that were a target, and the number of smashed windows and nick stereos I suffered with company cars over the years was a little bit tiring.

IMHO the sunroof is brilliant, I use my in tilt or slide open mode most weeks, even in depths of winter (when dry). Never had a problem (make sure drains clear on regular basis) and would be sad to have to drive with sheet metal over my head, which is why my wife's old Jag and now her new Mazda I find claustrophobic with no glass above my bonce and my thinning grey strands. I would add when I worked in Middle East the last thing you want is glass in any part of the car, once got in the car and burnt my hands as the internal door pulls (of chrome) had got pretty hot where we forget to park where the shade would be after a two hour lunch stop.

If you need an independent, then Osaka in Newport might be worth a visit, a little drive from the West Midlands, or even Japex in Hemel Hampstead. Osaka owner used to work for Lexus, but is a Toyota and Lexus man through and through, but for sure Steve will be the man to visit to start with.

Yep the roads for sure kill any suspension much quicker. My experience of owning LS400 Number 1, with starting mileage of 154,000 and moved on at 190,000, was suspension had not been worked on and was in need of just about everything looking at, and so LS number 2, was 132,000 on clock (13 years old when bought) and was no problems at all up until we start getting to 160,000 when suspension start to call show signs of loosening up. My mechanic reckons the control arms were newish about the time I bought it. Now up to 210,000 with new ARB bushes, new shocks all around, and the drop links clunking ( a bit ) I would say a 460 as a little heavier will be more than driveable but not as nice as when new without a fair bit of cash given its mileage hitting 186,000. I sometimes drool over LS460's but have been thinking GS might be the way to go to get a younger car, though took my 21 year old LS for a nice high speed spin, and just cannot get over (despite a few rattles) the silence in the cabin.

It has been many years since I drove a Beamer, I recall it as M3 of some sort, yes it was fast, yes I nearly put my head through the windscreen a few times when stopping, yes you could hear the low profile tyres beckoning every ant crossing the road to its death. Have been a passenger in many a Beamer since then, I do not have heart to tell my mates they could get a much better car for the money, but I am the only Jap driving person at work and with my mates, most have been smitten by the German bug (or Range Rover wallet eaters). Mind you they always like going out in the LS and watching me put the foot down now and again (well pre Covid they did)

I wonder if cars just become so expensive to run only the well off will be able to afford to drive (bit like in the early days of motoring and we all walked to work) and that society will slowly adjust. Although man is a clever creature, the challenges of improving battery life even further is not a quick fix, and challenge of providing the cabling and solar panels to do all this will make the challenge of getting faster abroad to all and sundry like a ruddy walk in the park. Hydrogen makes sense once we can work out how to overcome the huge losses (or energy wasted) caused by charging a cell and the waste converting back. I read in some rail magazine Hydrogen Fuel cells tech is about 4 time more energy consuming than equivalent diesel engine but it is being worked on. Sure we will work it out, but the boffins are boffins not miracle workers, so maybe one answer is cars that can be fuelled by useless politicians (plenty of infrastructure to tap into there).💀

So it is still true, that if you want to go into the desert get a Land Rover, if you want to come back get a Toyota.

Great that you got things sorted. I would add to anyone reading this using Virgin Broadband (especially if using DOCSIS cable routers), they can be a real monkey if not impossible to sort port forwarding on the routers. Not sure why, but we have had a number of customers who work from home and need port forwarding to have remote office phone extensions, and had fun and games with Virgin getting things to work.

Reading this article makes me wonder if when a part is made there are two levels of QA tolerance. One if the tolerance that means the robots etc on the production line are not going to hit fitting issues, where as a spare replacement might have slightly worse tolerances as it will be fitted by a 3rd party not on a production line. I could be completely wrong in my thinking.

Apparently he is patron saint for horses, and with so many under the bonnet of an LS, he is for sure a beneficial saint. The only problem I have had with the parking brake we cable seized up, but once sorted and new pads can park on the side of a cliff.

Certainly get the ARB bushes looked at, my LS at about 170K was making the missus sick (I noticed nothing much), but got the front bushes down a year ago (as garage said although okay!!, would tighten up the car. The result a happier missus, and I also noticed any tram-lining gone. It did not have huge tram-lining problem before, but my previous LS (with less miles on) I found tram-lining could be really horrible on certain parts of M5, wind or no wind and felt like car was going to lane-hop. That LS had most of the front suspension well past its use by date. Just looking at the ARB bushes is not enough, you need to wedge a bar in there and give them a good wiggle.

Looks a little worse than mine, but my seat still perfectly nice to sit in, and I notice that the metal rivets on jeans are a pain for scratching leather seats, where my missus parks her bottom has plenty of grazes, so I have given up trying to keep the passenger seats looking new. I would be having a good poke in the rear wheel arches to see where the tin mice have been, but anyone Dorset way might be able to pick up a bargain that needs some TLC.

My thoughts exactly, I just want some nice spring weather so I can jack the car up sort some things out. I only hesitate because still recovering from Covid and Heart Attack not yet in a fit state, and all that lovely weather we had in Lockdown one was when I was in hospital, so the car has had no TLC for nearly a year now (apart from new rear shocks). The wife keeps saying I should get a newer car, she does not quite get that this LS is the best money I have ever spent to date, I wonder if her 3 year old Mazda will get to see it's 21st birthday. The Mazda 2, nice car for trips to the shop, but God forbid the prices when all the dashboard frippery starts playing up, and not the quietest car on a the motorway.

I think I will not be trading up from Sunseeker Manhattan (the one I dream about now and again). Need to spend £20K getting new roof on the house, so maybe a rubber dingy for the summer instead.