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ColinBarber

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Everything posted by ColinBarber

  1. ColinBarber
    Glad you and the Lexus made it without incident :)
  2. ColinBarber
    I don't think there are two many options available are there? For example you cannot get the auto dim rear view mirror unless you go for the Premier spec. What size wheels did the demo car have, you want to make sure you are getting the same as the ride quality and economy alter depending on the wheel size. Depending on your preference you may want to consider a spare wheel. I don't think the Advance Plus comes with one, as the sunroof adds to much weight when combined with a wheel to kept it in an emissions category. I'm sure a dealer can add that after registration though.
  3. ColinBarber
    Welcome Jonathan, enjoy the V8 :)
  4. ColinBarber
    I cannot see you being able to get a part like that outside of the Toyota/Lexus dealer network. When changing the fluid make sure you only use Toyota T-IV transmission fluid.
  5. ColinBarber
    I'd say 100k miles / 10 years is getting to a point where they are well past their best. Most people never notice an issue because the performance just gradually deteriorates over the years but ride quality suffers and braking distances can increase.
  6. ColinBarber
    Welcome Liam No doubt the build quality of the 400 is outstanding, but the whole vehicle is a bit outdated since the design dates back to the early 1990s. The 430 is a step up for most things, including toys, but isn't as bulletproof. A 430 without air suspension and one which has had regular transmission fluid changes would be worth considering.
  7. ColinBarber
    It is smoother and quieter than the 'jerky' auto transmission of the RX300. It has more power and whilst economy isn't outstanding going from 18 to 25 mpg is quite a big improvement in percentage terms. Cheaper road tax too. Around town/fast a roads I'd get around 30-32 mpg. On motorways it is down to 28-30. How you drive can make a big difference on a hybrid. Very short runs would probably mean you are down to 25 as the hybrid system doesn't really get much of a chance to work as the petrol engine is always running to warm up.
  8. ColinBarber
    35290-30040 is the line pressure control solenoid. Has the transmission fluid been changed?
  9. ColinBarber
    That looks good. I'd be interested to see the results once you give it a further coat or two to fill in the hole.
  10. ColinBarber
    If you replace the cats with high-flow ones then you shouldn't lose torque, its it you went straight through that you may. People in the US seem to believe that the main restriction is with the exhaust manifolds, getting some new headers and a more free-flowing exhaust could give you some power gains but you really need to make use of the potential by using a fuel computer to mod the existing programming. Take a look at the swift racing intake for the SC430, that supposedly gives good gains as it includes an ECU mod.
  11. ColinBarber
    Welcome Michael :)
  12. ColinBarber
    The sports body kit was an option when purchasing the vehicle, the parts were actually fitted in the UK once the vehicle arrived from Japan. As it isn't an official grade, but rather classified as an optional extra, there aren't any stats available as to how many there were. I'd guess less than 150 had the body kit on them.
  13. ColinBarber
    Lexus have offered remote start in one form or another for years in the US but never in the UK, with a similar story for other manufacturers. Whist it is illegal to have an engine running in an unattended vehicle on a UK road, really that should only be the concern of the owner rather than the manufacturer, however Lexus in the UK are ultra conservative and are currently removing features rather than adding them (for example removing the option to have doors automatically lock when driving away on the GS model).
  14. ColinBarber
    The IS300 was only available in two grades. from 2001 - 2005 as the IS300 and from 2003 - 2005 as the IS300 LE. So technically there were zero IS300 Sports ;) Rough figures are 860 IS300s and 180 IS300 LEs
  15. ColinBarber
    I'd say the engine internals are good for 350-400 bhp but I doubt you would get near 350 bhp with what you are suggesting. The intake, without an ECU mod, will only get you 5 bhp. With a straight through exhaust you will lose low end torque, and again without adding in some way to retune the fuelling you won't get too much benefit.
  16. ColinBarber
    Give it a try, Shell V-power is probably the best, if for nothing else other than the additional detergents. You need to keep using it though, no point in doing an odd fill up with normal unleaded otherwise you have to go through the learning cycle again. There is no need for it though, the Lexus V8 running happily on standard UK unleaded fuel.
  17. ColinBarber
    S-flow is an economy feature. It saves energy by not heating/cooling the rear seats if you don't have anybody sitting there. It doesn't really make sense that turning that off altered the ability to de-mist the screen. If anything actually having s-flow on should help as there is more air diverted to the screen. There is a separate switch for s-flow.
  18. ColinBarber
    similar to the following: http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/tutorials/article/103-rx300-series-i-cleaning-maf-sensor/
  19. ColinBarber
    It should give you a little more mpg as the engine can run a slightly more advanced ignition timing. Typically it takes a tank or two before you see any difference, although you can accelerate the ECU learning by disconnecting the battery. From my personal experience with a GS430 (same engine as the SC) the difference in economy didn't justify the cost difference, certainly not in my area where super unleaded seems very expensive. No real noticeable difference in power of the engine, not that you really get much of a chance to use all the V8 power anyway on UK roads.
  20. ColinBarber
    I'd try cleaning the MAF sensor. Do you have any documented service information, do you know if the oxygen sensors have ever been replaced?
  21. ColinBarber
    That does sound aftermarket. Are you able to trace where it is going?
  22. ColinBarber
    Hi Bob. Nothing really to worry about, there don't seem to be any common issues other than the 12v battery needing to be replaced every 5 years to make sure it doesn't go flat if leaving the vehicle unattended for 2 or more weeks. You want full service history and the timing belt to have been changed at 100k miles. Ideally you want one mid 2006 onwards which includes the facelift items. What age is the vehicle you are looking at? All the series II RXs seem to have a limited amount of underseal, worth looking underneath especially if you are purchasing one that has been living near the sea. Personally I'd go for the youngest age you can afford over mileage.
  23. ColinBarber
    Series II definitely. The series III has improved since the 2012 facelift but still lacks in the looks department.
  24. ColinBarber
    yes they would be I'd guess it is a faulty amp.
  25. ColinBarber
    The remapping of the CVT was really made to improve drivability and make the vehicle feel and sound more like a conventional vehicle rather than to actually reduce noise. There were however 94 separate changes on the facelift CT just related to improving NVH. A new air intake, new engine mounts, new rear wheel liners, new front wing separators and thicker sound absorbers in the dashboard are some examples of changes made to reduce noise.
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