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ColinBarber

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Everything posted by ColinBarber

  1. ColinBarber
    VVTi doesn't really come in at a certain point, it is variable so you don't notice it. The ACIS system does kick in around that engine speed so that is probably a good area to investigate. Possibly the VSV isn't operating, or there is an air leak in the pipework. When you say it is as if a rev limiter is cutting in, do you mean it actually cuts in/out or is it that power is lost so it cannot accelerate?
  2. ColinBarber
    Hi It's an SE with different wheels, spoiler and front lip added by Lexus GB when it entered the country. It doesn't really exist as an official grade and therefore you will struggle to find it listed for valuations. It wasn't a true sport because the suspension was kept as standard, because the 1999-2000 sport suspension gave a poor ride, especially when they fitted it to the 430 so they spent a year or two coming up with a new setup because the 430 Sport officially launched. In terms of valuation I'd go on 430 SE values. You may be able to get a few hundred more if you find the right buyer.
  3. ColinBarber
    RX450h or RX400h? 2005 RX450h doesn't exist.
  4. ColinBarber
    Two schools of thought here. Modern thinking, including Toyota's, is that parts like tensioners and water pumps should be replaced when needed, not at a certain intervals hence they aren't on the service schedule. Plenty of LS400s in the US are running on original water pumps with 150,000+ miles on the clock. Old school is that water pumps may only last 120k miles, and the cost to replace is the biggest expense so get it done at the same time as the timing belt. No right or wrong answer here but at least the LS water pump doesn't suddenly fail, you get a long warning either by increased noise or weeping fluid.
  5. ColinBarber
    I used to get around 25 in town and 30 on m-way. Slightly better if I took it easy. It doesn't like short journeys, sub 20 mpg.
  6. ColinBarber
    Europe has never been a big market for Lexus. In the US the IS sells around 20,000 per year, but a more popular saloon is the ES which sells around 40,000.
  7. ColinBarber
    No extra power, at wide open throttle all produce the same power.
  8. ColinBarber
    I also don't agree with "As with all vehicles, when you come off the accelerator the vehicle will slow down gradually. A Hybrid vehicle will slow down faster" because Toyota design their system to replicate the feeling of an auto vehicle when coming off the accelerator (by applying a tiny amount of regen braking). Therefore they slow down around the same rate.
  9. ColinBarber
    I don't agree with Lexus. Whilst I said my brake light comes on before the mechanical brakes apply I can definitely apply the brakes lightly which increases the regen braking effort (as felt and seen on the power meter) before the brake light comes on.
  10. ColinBarber
    The IS250 brakes have enough power to lock up the wheels, producing more force than that isn't going to improve stopping power. So unless you are having fade issues with prolonged braking, have fitted substantially bigger tyres so the brakes can no longer overcome the forces to lock up the wheels then there really isn't a need to upgrade unless you are looking for better feel and/or better looks. As stated above, the IS gets the same brakes fitted to higher powered and heavier vehicles so there is plenty of over capacity when fitted to the IS. Maybe yours need servicing or have non-standard pads/discs?
  11. ColinBarber
    39 Nm for the drain plug
  12. ColinBarber
    I'd suggest that Which?'s urban test is too short. Clearly the 166 mpg was performed almost entirely on battery, it would need to be longer so more than a single battery cycle is needed. I've managed 120 mpg in my wife's Prius on a 2.5 mile journey, but if I repeated it a couple of times then it would average down to around 75 mpg. I therefore would understand a low CO reading, if it ran mainly in EV mode, but I fail to see how a high reading could be obtained in error. Clearly they measured the amount of CO being produced and it was well over the expected limit.
  13. ColinBarber
    Fog lights: Reversing light:
  14. ColinBarber
    Which? test using a more real world simulation than official tests and have found that many Toyota hybrids, including the IS, emit considerably more than Euro specs but because the test is harder they aren't claiming the vehicles aren't meeting the standard. A lab is better than on the road because you have much better control over the environment. Wind, rain, traffic etc. would all affect the results.
  15. ColinBarber
    IS sales have declined year on year since the series III was released until this last year where sales picked up slightly with the mid-cycle refresh, but we are still only talking less than 2,000 vehicles. As Rabbers states above it is just a cumulative effect. No danger of your Lexus being as common as a BMW. BMW sell around 15,000 vehicles a month across their entire range (not including Mini), Lexus sell around 13,000 in a year.
  16. ColinBarber
    The two look different so you should be able to tell if they now match indicating a light cluster has been replaced. The reversing light uses a standard bulb and lens however the fog light is a led array. The reversing light, and I presume the fog light too, is controlled by a relay so a wiring modification could have been done there rather than at the lights.
  17. ColinBarber
    The vehicle has regenerative brakes so the mechanical ones don't get used as often, that is why the pads/discs last so well. Only if you brake heavily and the needle goes beyond the charge range on the power meter do the mechanical brakes start to be applied. Changing 'gears' on the CVT is just he same as applying a small amount brake - it is simulating engine braking using the regenerative brakes.
  18. ColinBarber
    Unlikely but certainly worth checking the ground strap whilst you are poking around the engine bay. Check all the fuses first, you won't be the first to have this sort of problem.
  19. ColinBarber
    I think the large ones are in the fuse box next to the battery. If a large ones need to be replaced then the fuse box needs to be removed because the fuses are bolted down on the underside.
  20. ColinBarber
    whatever blocking method you use, just make sure you test it. Place it next to the door handle and try and unlock the door with your hand as normal. Some of the cheaper bags on eBay don't work.
  21. ColinBarber
    Sounds like one or more of the fuses have blown, possibly when you connected the new battery. Check the large ones, including the 150A alternator one.
  22. ColinBarber
    grease is thicker which creates resistance on the solenoid, bearings and ring gear.
  23. ColinBarber
    The good thing with RockAuto is they allow you to pay all the taxes upfront, depending on what courier you choose, so there are no surprises or delays.
  24. ColinBarber
    Unfortunately not, the changes were cosmetic and equipment related, other than the addition of a sport mode. The following has information about the different grades:
  25. ColinBarber
    If I search for that part number on www.toyodiy.com it shows the same part is used on the 4.3l V8 used in the LS, GS, and SC 430s.
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