is200 Newbie

Apologeees for the spelling !!! You should expect a professional job - you have paid for it with your insurance policy - you should expect your car to be repaired to the standard you expect from a proffissional and not to have any issue - it you puit it into a popcorn shop they I would havbe expected a crap job out as a result, You have put it into a respectable repairer so expect a good job back in return I would not be happy with this - what happens to resale value when you come to sell? Insists on a better job from the insurer - I done this with my wifes car a few years ago and got the insurer to put right a repair that was not up to standard - they actually replaced a front headlight with another model headlight thinking we would not notice but we did and they soon replaced it with the correct one (think it was a replace part from ebay !!!!)

Pressing down the track forward controls on the steering wheel for a second allows you to forward the CD or radio station track on to the next but if you hold it down for a few seconds it will move the disc on to the next disc. Pressing the two buttons on the head unit (up / down) keeping your finger on the respective button allows you to fast forward or reverse the tracks in play in CD mode within the track itself.

Possibly? If you have the fan on and the motors struggling with whatever mode the blower is in (re-circulate or circulate) and cannot open or close the flap but I would expect this to be the case after the filter was replaced as the flap is quite delicate and wont last that long if struggling to operate. A twig or something in the fan blower? Have you tried operating the fan at different settings to eliminate this? Does the sound go up/down with the engine or is it more constant? At what point during the drive does it happen? I also believe, on the gen 2's at leat, that there is a small fan on the radio Do you have a video of the sound?

If you are in Cheshire do not consider Cybrand In Birkenhead as they made a pigs ear out of mine when it went - bad welds and noisy.

I am not sure for the GS as to where the pump is - the rattle will only last, at worst, 1 second. After the oil changes and flushes mine now possibly does it once? a year around Christmas time when its cold outside and its started for the first time after it has sat for around a week or so, even then, the rattle is for less than 1 second but once you have heard it you are tuned to recognising the noise. I am convinced the regular oil changes and engine flushes have all but cured the issue although it is I think mechanical, the flush has helped a lot. No lights have ever come up on mine and I have not heard of others who have had this issue with the lights coming up either. But, it does not run rough during the rattle, it has never done this while driving, always when stationary at start up. I would be a bit concerned if it done it when hot. If you define the rough running as more of a "shiver" to best describe it, then you could have an issue with carbon build up, again , this is something that can be managed with regular fuel dosing or using the higher octane fuel for a while?

It happens on the 250. Its not an issue really, just a bit concerning when it happens. Regular oil changes with an engine flush has stopped it from happening on mine (250) although there are instances where it does return but no where near as bad as it did - previous posts describe it well and returning to your car after its been sat for a while sometimes it can be heard when starting up but not always, it depends on the weather (temperature) I change the oil on mine every 6 months or so along with the filter and an engine flush - every time its changed I get the rattle on initial start up until the reservoir is pressurised and full of oil. Its very rare that it does rattle but now and then it does, when its cold and has sat for a while. Possibly the flush removes any engine gunk from the valve during the oil change as it definitely helps.

Have seen this also - the fake bulbs were featured on the Watchdog program in the UK and a lot of these were the Phillips brand

The Gen 2 has an electrical operated "flap" allowing air to enter the cabin through the filter housed in the glove box area. Have you had a recent service where the filter was changed? The noise could be the motor straining to open or close the flap? The Gen 2 filter is located in the glove box area on passenger side

Just looking around ebay - came across this alloy - quite an expensive one - a bit curbed but would be ideal for a spare wheel for someone with these. Its not one of mine or anyone's I know Item number 202203294450 on ebay

Seems the cleaner is popular - I use it on a couple our car seats and have done for a while (lasts ages) - used to use the wax on the car also but gone over to the Turtle Magic Wax as it seems to work well for the colour of my car.

I was quoted £2700 by Lexus a few years back for the fitting of both boxes and the centre section and I am pretty sure it was on a 4 to 6 week lead time for the parts. This was before the time that they were freely available on the web - I have had a stainless cat back but did not like the nose (drone in particular) so made my own. The only issue I have had with it so far it a split in a pipe from a speed hump. You have indicated that the body shop has not seen the damage and they have quoted against the pictures you have sent... i would very much guess that this is an estimate, in fact it is as it is indicated on the bill you have had. You really need to get the exhaust checked out - If the cost is accepted at this stage by the insurer and the body shop realises there is further work required are they going to replace parts or repair to keep their losses down? So you could end up with a repaired exhaust, not new?

Check your policy for the use of a hire car. Did you get the other persons insurance details?

The drone sound and the power loss will more than likely be associated with the exhaust being damaged - not a cheap repair if going down the lexus route. The gear shifts may also be associated to this (in auto mode) as the car due to the power loss will struggle to "find" the correct gear as the ecu will be compensating for the extra power going in but not coming out, if that makes sense. You will see it more pronounced around 40mph where the car will struggle to select between 3 applicable gears it can be in. The system is quite robust in the way the exhaust is installed but it will more then likely have failed around the centre resonator as it looks like it has been pushed up a bit by looking at the damage. I would suggest getting it on a ramp if you are carrying on driving to see the extent of any damage as if the exhaust fails completely then it could drop while driving and take out quite a bit from under the car not to mention other road users. If not too bad do a temporary repair until you are sorted with the insurance. Not sure where you stand though in doing it with the insurance. Wont they offer a loan car if you admit its becoming unroadworthy?

I am glad we own underrated cars - long may it live on .....

The premiums are high enough – why not let the insurance companies take part of the responsibility for a stolen car – They can recommend and have an alarm/immobiliser or whatever installed by them to endorse it. No come back on them turning a claim down if a car was stolen, likewise, a reduction in premiums for the car owner in having their recommended system installed. Hardly think it will stop the crime but it would drive the insurance companys harder to get something better done about the state of the stolen car issues. Also ... Can this weather be sorted?

if its only for a few days them some orange transparent film/polythene and tape with a white bulb will be fine providing its not creating a risk to other road users.

Definitely get the exhaust fully checked ... at 3k for the back boxes and centre section (fitted by Lexus) and with all the other damage if the exhaust needs replacing then you may be looking at a write off in comparison to the value of the car. The exhaust has some strong rubber mounts, two on the back box pipe itself and two on the centre section so cant travel that much unless it has had a good whack.

Second the recommendation for the SE-L spec with ML entertainment system and the auto box - high miles are not an issue if its been looked after but depends on how many miles you are going to put on it, only for considering the re-sale value when you come to sell again. There are a few known issues with them - do your reading on the forum before purchasing. Not a lot goes wrong with them other than wear and tear

I have just compared the packaging of the sensor - the picture I posted on page 1 to the picture you have posted and they are quite different - do you still have the box as I can compare it to the one I have as I kept the good sensor I had in it. The Japanese on the box I would have expected to see translated to "Air/Fuel sensor" but it is nothing like it in comparison to the translation site on Google. OK, I accept the packaging will change over the years but the box must show the part number etc ...(afterall the seller did say it was new) ...was it not working and it was re-sealed and sold on or an actual fake itself? Did you get the small tube of thread grease with it should be supplied with one? Is the seller still active on ebay?

Don't know why they have made the selection so complicated ... the sensor does the same job in each bank, the two differing part numbers correspond to the correct sensor but with different lengths of wire installed. Strange, as the sensor with the shortest wire fits both banks and the sensor with the longer wire fits both as well. Why have they made it so hard? Rockauto have the part 2349051 @ £83.50 which are the ones I bought - mine is a 2007 model and I have had no issue with them since install (I think nearly 3 years now?) You can see from the attached image they have of the sensor that its scribed with the product info s/no on the sensor body. Did the one you purchased as new have this?

I find they are pretty good for stopping Maybe you have issues with the calipers or need to change the choice of pads being used if it doesn't feel its stopping right?

Sorry - I did answer this but have had issues with posting to the forum for some reason... Best place to start is to reset the codes using an ODBII reader - it will give you a place to start - if the replaced sensors have had any protective film on them then through use it would have burnt off by now (through use) - possible that the stored codes are still showing. Do you still have the "good" old sensor - you said before one had failed but you have replaced both - you could retrace your steps in replacing one of the new sensors with the known good one - its a bit of a faff but will prove the new sensors are good. It will give you the opportunity to re-check all the connections that were removed during the original install also. It would need to be a big vacuum leak to effect performance - pipe come off for instance. you MAY? hear a whistle or air escaping when the engine is running if theres a leak. A re-used clip should not give you any issue unless it was damaged / stretched when removing or replacing the hose back. Make a not of the existing codes and then reset the system and see what errors come up ... - it would not have passed the MOT if the emissions were high so its going to be something easy? to find/repair

Looking at the photo and considering it is a mini roundabout there is a lot of visible "room" to assess the rights of the other road users at each junction. There are no obstacles in the way and there is clear view, looking at the picture of each vehicle from each junction. There would have been no clear right of way for the van as for him to bang into your friends car, your friend would have already been on the roundabout itself. The only way I can see this happening where the van hit your friends car was if she was speeding but regardless of that, the van if they had the foresight to see the car coming would have had to stop because it was not safe to enter the roundabout. Another scenario would be that you friend had here indicator on indicating she was turning left at the junction? Dashcam footage is so usefull in these incidents and yes, in agreement with comments above, do not mention the side taken by the police but report it separately. Isn't this what the legal cover on your insurance is for?

It could have been dirt on the sensor when replaced - oil film or coming into contact with dirt when replacing the sensor? Did you replace both or just the one sensor? Keep an eye on it though as it could be (not saying it is) a copied sensor as you said it had Japanese writing on the box from a US Ebay supplier

Was this the same dealer that originally told you that it was normal for them not to dip together or as much as each other?