Malc

Am I going to go mad checking this expansion tank level ? Just topped up to the full mark about a mug full, 350mls I think ............ after its cooled down from a gentle 30 mile country lane drive in the sunshine But prior runs the level hadn't moved Malc

most number plate suppliers might give you the option of either a screw fix or a tape fix AND supply the appropriate tape When I renewed mine over BCA3 on my Mk2 the new plate just taped over the old without removing it I've gone for screw fixes since though ............. although I don't have a preference Malc

after just 3 weeks of fitting brand new tyres I would return to the garage that fitted them and ask / tell them the problem, it's THEIR PROBLEM and the tyres need re-fitting to better prepared internal rims THEIR PROBLEM AND AT THEIR COST METHINKS the fitter didn't prepare them fully maybe knowing this sort of thing can and often happens on older rims and waiting for a " puncture scare and repair " at your cost to boost their profits Malc

that includes the Mk3 then too Malc

82 steps bottom to top if my memory serves me well ! Malc

blimey, makes me think back I had a Vauxhall Carlton 1.8 as my bank manager's car back in 1988 and in the 3 years before being made redundant in '91 I did 60k miles but only 60 miles on bank business ( I worked in the City ) and she went to a local garage owner who wanted to keep her going after some 216k miles with me .... lots of that touring Europe ......... wot a mileage eh ! She died of too much impossible rust he told me, at the rear end some months after taking her off my hands Malc sorry I reminisce

Ok so today I ran her thru 18 miles of fast dual carriageway, traffic jams and roadworks along the A2 to Rochester Cathedral from home, and back along 14 miles of easy driving country lanes with no traffic Checked the expansion tank etc at the Cathedral and then again when home Nothing moved on the marked level and no signs of water anywhere Maybe she's OK now and I feel comfortable taking her to my indy which is about an hour's drive next month Fingers xd Malc

Then all I've done in putting maybe a good gallon into the expansion tank is just about OK until I can get down to my indy for it's annual service and MOT AND now the coolant to be completely changed and refilled properly ! AND a thermostat change too. I have advised him all your kind thoughts Thank you Nothing more I can personally do to get this right The airblow hot / cold into the car these past few weeks just hasn't been right I know, and now I know why, a silly airlock developed hopefully It's blowing ok temperatures now I think, thankfully Roll on another month The MOT is due 8th December so 9th November is good enough I hope Malc

Hiscox has been around forever too and an excellent reputation generally Malc

thank you Malc

Thank you guys Last night in the dark, and dry, I went out and shone a light absolutely everywhere and not a damp patch to be seen, either on the car, under the bonnet nor on the road surface AND the reservoir hadn't moved a dot Mentioned the thermostat possibility, maybe it got stuck and freed itself ? The reservoir cap is a standard metal pressure cap and seems to lock down ok BUT I'll be running her gently for a while now and I know I can replace the cap ok ? and the other issues will be dealt with by my indy as necessary when I can get over to see him, he's an hour away ! I remember on my Mk1 that the cap was a simple plastic screw on cap and that split vertically BUT I could replace that at that time from EuroCarParts or whatever it was then for a £5, they had one in stock so maybe it was a generic part for other cars too ........... maybe 15 years ago tho Malc

sometimes a little challenging to find overnight accommodation BUT we always did, flexible on price thankfully and invariably found a suitable B&B somewhere Not quite sure what Brexit will do for european tourists visiting though once covid has vanished ! We were certainly competing with the Germans for roadspace in their campers Malc

I'll be doing a local run tomorrow to see if my theory stands up or if it needs more thorough remedial treatment and a good telling-off ! and if the thermostat needs seeing to, too Malc

Having topped up the reservoir with plain water, it's difficult to see any water level there. I ran the car for about 5 miles and topped it up again till I thought it was running out of the overflow pipe A few hours later and back to the car and the reservoir water is now red coolant colour My indy was thinking after 25 years it could be an O ring, and he thought there's lots all over the place, or a hose finally giving up after 25 years Anyway, having moved the car to a dry spot earlier, and no rain yet, I've been running the engine on idle for 25 mins and there's zero signs of water anywhere, from the hoses, O rings ( whatever they are ) nor the radiator itself I'm thinking, hoping, that with all this incredibly hot weather we have had that it's simply evaporation of the water ( leaving the red coolant concentrate of course ) I know i haven't checked under the bonnet these past 3 / 4 months, and having done many trips to the hospital, some 1400 miles in this time ( I've had a cancer scare and intensive radiotherapy treatment ) COULD IT BE that the general Lexus self-healing process has occurred yet once again !! I'll keep an eye on it all much better these coming days and weeks and months Indy has just told me to check as the engine cools down, to see if there's any drips showing Malc

if i remember correctly Amayama used to have an option to order parts from their UAE depot too Malc

It's been running up to HOT on the gauge and just checked and the plastic expansion tank is EMPTY Forever it's run at bang in the middle of the gauge, probably for 25 years but at least the last 9 years of my ownership Checked what I can of the rad hoses and they seem fine, flexible and seemingly dry ....... from the open bonnet access only Topped the expansion tank up with water until my indy or someone can tell me something useful about it all ! The waterpump was changed with the cambelt etc about 26k miles / 2 years ago so that should, hopefully be fine Your thoughts please Thank you Malc

it's not an exhaust heat shield moving slightly and scraping / rattling ? Malc

there seem to be quite a few Insce brokers that specialise in Imports for use on UK roads Take the advice from Steve above, Celsior badged Ls400s are simple Imports and there are several happily on our roads and they are being imported regularly Malc

In my opinion a very fine Broker that has been around for decades. I first used them in about 1991 for house insce etc. They were based in Hawkhurst ............. always polite and totally on the ball and searched the market well for good quotes Malc

Adrian Flux used Trinity Insurance for me ( I think they own it but not sure ) and I had the most AWFUL EXPERIENCE with them, the insurer they put me with and the Claims Handler company basically, they allowed an exaggerated and to my mind fraudulent claim by the third party to be adjusted, omitting the fraudulent bit, after the initial claim by them was submitted, so it " fitted " an ok claims profile and the Court Hearing that we were pursuing had to be dropped just a very few days before it was due to be heard before a Judge because THEY allowed the 3rd Party to change his claim to make it look sensible and ok I wasted a couple of years of my life dealing with this and I would NEVER EVER EVER TRUST them again They totally FAILED to look after me, their client It's not necessarily the price you pay for the insurance cover it's the quality of the Claims Handling that counts and I was very very badly let down by them and theirs. Malc

A friend of mine has just moved to Quillan and blimey that looks a great spot, bang on the bottom of the Languedoc region by the med just before you cross the Pyrenees I'll be going there when covid vanishes methinks I'm an inveterate european traveller in my ancient Ls400 whenever I can get across the channel Malc

UNKNOWING CATASTROPHIC FAILURES for earlier Ls400s the following issues can cause your car to perhaps just suddenly become immobilised Rear Strut Bars rust ( inside these ) causes them to perhaps just collapse in normal driving conditions BUT after many years and are age/rust related ......... these are NOT picked up at MOT time ...........on a 93 model these can be replaced both sides with parts no................Tie Rod/Strut rod part 48780-50010 PAS PIPEWORK LEAKS This can often happen through simple fatigue over time and age rubber " O " ring failing and leaking onto the alternator AND the pas cooler pipe in front of the radiator can be replaced with simple copper tubing of the appropriate bore size AND the mild steel pipework running down to this can be replaced with the appropriate flexi pipes ...... all in preference to the expensive mild steel replacement Toyota/Lexus parts The pas fluid leaks onto the ALTERNATOR which dies when affected and results in a premature replacement BUT the alternator could randomly fail through age related wear and tear too .............. mine just went suddenly at 227k miles REAR BRAKE PIPES ( in part ) the rustiest part of the rear brake pipes underneath the retaining clips and above the splash shield by the rear offside door, none of which are immediately obvious without some dismantling, so could be missed at MoT time. COIL PACKS the MK1 & 2, not sure about the MK3 had only two coil packs, one for each bank, the most likely one failing is the passenger side due to the heat. A failed coil pack knocks out four cylinders and causes serious overheating in the exhaust system. END Malc

last resort I guess could be the Lexus Main Dealer in Belfast ?? Malc

Ah yes Steve, thanks for that reminder with the rubber " O " ring failing and leaking onto the alternator That happened to me on my J reg Mk1 about 15 years ago, a wet windy dark night on the M20 on my way home .... the alternator just went " pop " and the brand new One-Time breakdown towing truck, well, broke down as it left it's depot 😲 ......... I managed to coast to under a bridge over the motorway Malc

Simon, I rarely ever use my parking brake, rarely sit on a slope that could be an issue ............. and I don't think my " shoes " have ever been replaced, although annually checked ..... they are very thin product whatever from new If you use the parking brake then I can see you might be concerned over their longevity and I'm on 231k miles ! Malc