ColinBarber

1. This is the same for all the RX hybrids. The primary cats aren't the ones that get stolen, just the secondary. The secondary cat as much closer to the front of the vehicle compared to the RX400h, so may be difficult/impossible to cut the front off. 2. Newer cats are less valuable but do the people purchasing them know the difference? Would they tell the difference from a series II, III or IV cat if it was just handed to them without seeing the vehicle it has come from?

Driving is the wrong word as my car hasn't done more the 100 miles since the start of the lockdown but I own a GS F. I use my wife's Prius for local journeys - interested in the new Rav4 plugin as a replacement for the Prius but fear it will be too expensive, maybe I'll look at an early series IV RX.

Yes, if the security lights doesn't go out you are wasting your time cranking the engine - it will not fire.

I don't believe the OP was talking about Lexus Parts Direct. I read it is directly purchasing a new vehicle from Lexus GB (I assume from their website).

I guess you won't have a newer Lexus ever again then? Haven't you owned an IS300h before, I assume you survived the ordeal relatively unscathed?

Lazy journalism then I guess. The current generation ES uses the A25A-FXS engine, one of the new Toyota Dynamic Force engines. If the review was the old ES300h, not sold in the UK, then that uses the 2AR-FXE engine, as found in the NX300h. Similar to the 2AR-FSE engine used in the IS300h but lacks direct-injection which is why the NX is less powerful and less efficient than the IS.

FYI Costco have £50 off two Michelin tyres or £100 off four at the moment.

They don't as they don't paint the wheels, the OEM does. 😞

see this video which shows voltage part way through. If you are in Ready mode then the battery is being charged so the voltage will be higher than checking with a meter. To get out of the service menu, press and hold the audio power button for 10 secs until the system reboots.

I didn't think Lexus were doing online purchases. Toyota started during Covid lockdown, you build and order online and then select the dealer it is going to be delivered to. I doubt you would get the same discounts as you can from a dealer so best to avoid. As with any BTO purchase, you won't know a delivery date until you have paid your deposit and the order is with factory in Japan to get a build date + shipping slot. If it is one of the pre-configured cars coming in, or already in, the country then you can get that - all dealers have access to that list of vehicles too. If it is a used vehicle then each dealer has purchased their own stock - to get a vehicle from another dealer then they have to purchase it so they won't do that without a deposit. Lexus have their Toyota staff and press vehicles which they auction off, all dealers bid to purchase these at auction, Lexus GB won't sell those directly to the public.

Single. The hybrid cooling system has a separate pump and uses a separate core within the same radiator assembly but there is no need for a thermostat to regulate an optimum temperature as with the internal combustion engine - the colder the better to keep the electronics and motors cool.

There are floats that stop fuel getting to the canister so you shouldn't have too much to worry about. The pump is in the tank with a filter in front on most Toyota's so no dirt can get to the pump or fuel system. Not that it is a big problem these days anyway. Fuel is better, stored so there is less moisture than in the past and the vehicle tanks are treated, plated or plastic so rust isn't a problem.

To remove more from the transmission you can disconnect the oil cooler pipe at the radiator, start the engine for some to pump out (0.5 litre), stop and refill and repeat until the fluid coming out is clean. But you can just do what you did every couple of years to keep it in good condition. At the age the vehicle is, you may want to consider dropping the pan and replacing the filter.

I'm sure there is a bit of cost cutting here but mainly to help produce a clean rear end that isn't all light cluster and that has enough space to conform to all country regulations without different body panels/cluster size & shape.

Series I RX300 - purchased at 77k miles, kept for 5 years and sold at 114k miles. No real expense other than regular servicing, tyres, one sidelight bulb and a couple of O2 sensors. Series II RX400h - purchased around 65k miles, kept for 5 years and sold at 105k miles. Servicing, tyres, 12v aux battery, two front brake disks and a brake sliding pin + rubber. 10 years old and/or 100k miles is really the limit for me to get out before any issues arise.

P0420 will come and go intermittently, especially at first, as they rely on certain conditions being met which aren't always present. Your long term trims seem a little high, but on both banks, so I'd check there aren't any vacuum leaks and clean the MAF sensor but that isn't the main reason for a P0420 otherwise you would have a P0430 too. I'd definitely get the exhaust checked for leaks, from the manifold gasket on the engine through to where the pipes join into one.

That is the official description of P0420, but it can be triggered by multiple problems which the ECU or OBD tool cannot determine.

It's a major pain. Wipers and motor all out to remove the top cowling, drain engine and hybrid coolant, disconnect/remove the power steering ECU, remove air box/filter - and yes the hybrid inverter needs to be removed. I think you want to be sure the thermostat is faulty before doing this, not just replace it on a whim.

but potentially too much unless it has intelligent circuitry to stop charging when the battery is fully charged. Constantly charging a car battery will damaged it.

4 main reasons why this code gets triggered. Front O2 sensors aren't working as they should which triggers the rear sensor Air leak in the front exhaust/manifold The cats actually are below a good working threshold The rear sensor is no longer in calibration and detecting a problem when there isn't one. I've listed in order of likelihood. Many people do number 4 first and it nearly never fixes the issue. If you have an OBD tool, not just a reader, look at the fuel trims to see if they look ok.

It's a big heavy car, suspension components are going to be the main thing that will wear over time/mileage.

The current series IV, available in 2016 and facelifted in 2019, is as you say similar to the previous series III - same engine (just reworked) and same platform (wheelbase slightly extended). From what I can see on the parts diagram there is a greater distance from the cat to the main silencer but I cannot tell if that means the cat is further forward or the main silencer has moved back from the centre of the vehicle. If it is the former then it may be more difficult to cut the exhaust in front of the cat. The all-new series V is expected in 2023.

you won't get that much out. For the GS250 transmission in question a pan drain only needs 1 litre of new fluid. The whole system holds 7.2 litres. Most is held in the torque converter/valve body/external cooler and pipework. Unfortunately these transmissions don't have one which makes it more difficult to keep an eye on the quality of the ATF. if the pan is pulled then they can also check the magnets for any shavings.

Just doing a drain and fill will only change 1/3 of the fluid - which may be all you need to keep the fluid in good condition if you do it regularly. I'm not sure the Lexus dealer was quoting you correctly, or they just didn't want to do it. They probably included dropping the pan and changing the filter but even then it is a couple of hours work and £150 in parts and fluid.

The 400h has essentially the same suspension set up as the sprung petrol variant. It is really just spring rates that are different due to weight differences at the rear. They both use the same wishbone, although different engine mounts. Either way both the 300/330 and 400h manuals both list the first step as remove engine assembly with transaxle as you need to remove the engine mount which sits over the wishbone. Whether you can just raise and support it enough to do that without disconnecting all the wiring etc. I don't know. It's a slightly bigger job on the petrol version as you have to disconnect the prop shaft which the 400h doesn't have. Look at page 23 (SP-20) here: https://cardiagn.com/suspension-2006-rx330/