is200 Newbie

It is if you need a few of them - over the years they do come loose and lost. I have replaced quite a few and down to a couple of spares that don't really fit. Have found them available in the states and at £25 for 10 then while they will do, they are the ones that have come off originally and I have replaced so a bit reluctant to buy them.

I am planning some jobs for when the weather is better. One is a coolant change - whats the interval for changing this? Has anyone done a full change of coolant and any walkthrough about how to go about it?

These are the push down type that secure the covers in the engine bay. I have bought these in the past from ebay but are either too small and don't hold the cover that well (without rattling) or too big and break. Anyone have any recommendations of good ones that fit well (other than OEM)

I guess I am not the only one in it - any others - I got home and it was on 99999 so had to go around the block to get to this else I would not sleep !!! Second one taken past 100k, no issues with the first and only issue with this one being the exhaust ... good going !

I have the K&N panel oiled one - have had it on the car for 4 years now - had one on previous cars - wife has one also. Cost wise, now it is paying for itself but initially compared to an annual change of a throw away type, it was expensive. Just cleaned mine today (washed and dried it last night, oiled it today) I can say that it does initially have a result in greater acceleration - noticeable - not dramatic but definitely improvement - can say this as when the filters drying overnight I will put an old throwaway one in the car if I need to use the car. When the oiled one goes back in there's a definite noticeable improvement. Like mentioned above - too much oil on them will clog the MAF but its hard to over oil them. Maybe I notice a difference more as most of the time owning the car I had a free flow stainless exhaust on - now I have a bigger bore exhaust pipe on the exhaust with quad boxes...more air in / more gasses out. With the filter installed it doesn't create any noise compared to the throw away type - the filter will let more air in but the oil, as its a bit tacky, will stop contaminants. You will see this when cleaning it. I will clean the filter every year but really it depends on where the cars being driven - a dusty environment will clog it quicker. I usually clean it after the winter, after all the salt and grime has gone. I would recommend one but its personal choice.

First introduction to Lexus was with a 2004 Lexus IS 200LE after owning Vauxhalls for years. Absolutely loved the Lex and the first car I have had that went past 100k with no issue, had it from 60k and well looked after car. Lost it in a flood a few years back and was absolutely gutted - more gutted at losing the car than the house!!. Was written off with no option to buy back. Tried to start but had had it - not an option to buy back really as it was absolutely soaked inside. I would have another one if it was in good condition - I loved the sunroof option !! The only issue I had with it was a cigarette burn on the back seat - was there prior to when I bought it! Drowned (first car on the drive) wifes new clio was written off also Being towed away to graveyard !! (sad day)

Just an update - the noise, although very faint, is still there - cant comment on the rumble yet as till to find a smooth road !! Had a good look through the moving parts today under the car - no leaks / loose bits - exhaust shields still intact and secure. Tyres all dood with no uneven wear. Front pads are ok but will need doing by end of year probably. Done an oil change / oil filter change / greased all caliper pins / oiled all rubber mounts / cleaned and re-oiled air filter and checked exhaust. All done and ok. Will live with the noise / rumble until it needs to be done but not getting any worse at all so probably been there for a while. Whats the Lexus slogan? .. in pursuit of perfection? .. guess I am being too critical on the car !!!

A very discreet colour - looks quite sharp and original when seen through the wheels - good job Hammerite is good for the job but like you say - if a second coat is needed it needs to be done when the first is tacky as it seems to split otherwise like washing liquid on oil. I have used Hammerite on mine - quite a while ago with no problems but need to be careful when removing them in the future to change pads or grease pins etc as it will look untidy if scraped or chipped. Use a bungee cord to tie caliper up to the spring if doing work on brakes to avoid the paint getting damaged.

I have also tried but had the same message as you - I was curious to see the history of mine as never had it in the past but it wont let me verify my vehicle.

All good points - thanks I would rather keep the car I have to be honest and after sitting down and working out the figures, they don't make sense to move jobs - was being a bit too ambitious although don't mind the drive as the job would only need to be done for a year then I could look to retire or take a part time job. I don't know a lot about the hybrid system but after all the comments and doing some research, predominately on this site then the car would not really be suitable - I just thought it would be before I done a bit of digging. Thanks for all the info and suggestions - it was usefull

Good points - was not aware that the hybrid was not good for efficient motorway driving (mpg wise)

Good points - not accepted yet I guess this would be your neck of the woods .. Roads are A55 / A483 / A5 to Shrewsbury

Posted in the IS 250 section - think it fits better here ... I have the possibility of accepting a job - issue I have is the distance. The daily commute will be 140 mile round trip compared with 10 at the moment !! ... a big difference. I am considering it but it would mean me changing the car - don't want to as its been well looked after. If needs must I want to stay with the Lexus brand. I can keep mine at the moment but would look to reduce fuel costs. Have guestimated that fuel cost per month would be around £300 per month using existing car - would be all motorway (90% at least) I want to stay petrol but unsure what the best option would be in upgrading to a newer model - Hybrid would, I expect return the mpg I would look for but what model would best replicate the kit on an SE-L. Not looking for speed, just something similar and as reliable as the one I currently have. Any issues with these hybrids? Anyone got any suggestions - I have looked on Autotrader through whats available and the IS 300H 2.5 reports an mpg of average mpg 64.2. is that more or less accurate - like I say, the journey would be mostly motorway.

I have the possibility of accepting a job - issue I have is the distance. The daily commute will be 140 mile round trip compared with 10 at the moment !! ... a big difference. I am considering it but it would mean me changing the car - don't want to as its been well looked after. If needs must I want to stay with the Lexus brand. I can keep mine at the moment but would look to reduce fuel costs. Have guestimated that fuel cost per month would be around £300 per month using existing car - would be all motorway (90% at least) I want to stay petrol but unsure what the best option would be in upgrading to a newer model - Hybrid would I expect return the mpg I would look for but what model would best replicate the kit on an SE-L. Not looking for speed, just something similar and as reliable as the one I currently have. Anyone got any suggestions - I have looked on Autotrader through whats available and the IS 300H 2.5 reports an mpg of average mpg 64.2. is that more or less accurate - like I say, the journey would be mostly motorway.

I have kind of ruled the tyres out as the noise only happens while accelerating or cruising - if decelerating - say going down hill with foot off accelerator - the noise stops. Its not causing an issue (yet) if it will at all - I would just like to get to the bottom of where its coming from. I have found out a bit more regarding the type of gearbox in these and its an AISIN WARNER A750 type gearbox so I will do a bit of digging to see if there are any issues with these (not had time to look yet) - to be honest I am leaning towards the issue being the torque converter - quite unheard of as a failure in these cars but there's a first time for everything I suppose... I guess a lot of people may have this issue if listened to closely - with radio / fan etc off so its quiet in the cabin to recognise the noise.

Its an old topic - one that created a lot of debate over if it could be done or not - either DIY or by a dealer Question remains ... can the transmission fluid be changed IS owners in Canada / New Zealand and US have had fluid changes and are done on a regular basis - some state its on their service schedules yet owners over here state it cant be done and its on no schedule I have seen. So is this climate dependant? You can argue as its a sealed unit (lifetime oil) then whats the difference in running a car in a different climate as its cooled the same? I am not an expert on oil but have to question whether a lifetime oil means lifetime - what determines the lifetime of a car? 100k,200k,500k? Surely an oil under pressure as the fluid is in an auto box is and under constant heating and cooling will after a while break down along with the moving parts within the box - if it doesn't then its a miracle oil as metal on metal will wear and deposit debris in the oil creating more wear and tear - to be honest I am quite surprised after doing a bit of research on this that its not a part of a regular service item. Why is there a filter in there if its not designed to be maintained? Surely as per all filters it will act as a filter for the oil and need maintenance? There is a drain hole and a fill hole on the box - surely that's there to offer maintenance to the box. If it was not meant to be maintained then there would only be a fill hole? I believe the oil used is very thin - it is cooled through the cooling system of the engine - explains why the cabin can heat up quickly if using the car in manual mode as its putting pressure on the box more than the control the auto feature has over it. The process in most of the topics I have read have all indicated that the oil change is done in stages by replacing a percentage of the oil at a time and always with the same oil originally applied to the box with a further change done a few weeks later thus ensuring the oil is gradually replaced with new and not in one go. Forums state its not recommended to flush the boxes due to the solvents involved in doing so. The reports from a few forums have stated in each case when changed after long periods the oil looked cloudy and burnt. Not ideal for what is an essential part of the car that can easily be maintained by an oil change Its a very hard job to do without the correct tools and is best left to experienced mechanics / dealers. Anyone had this done?

Going to have a good look next weekend when servicing it. I suspect it is the torque converter to be honest - not sure how this works or at what point or speed it kicks in or if its engaged full time? I don't get the rumble at low speeds in any gear in either manual or auto or at any specific temp of the engine. Seems to appear around 50mph in 4th / 5th / 6th gears. Will only get it when accelerating or at a constant speed or when cruise is set. It disappears when foot is off accelerator so its not associated to the car free rolling. Eliminated tyres really, its not the water pump. It could be the exhaust but its not that type of noise ... its repetitive every two seconds or so when accelerating or cruising. Haven't narrowed it down anymore yet as haven't found a good smooth road. Its not that obvious but now I know its there its bugging me. Wife does not feel or hear anything. Its that quiet that the radio on a very low volume hides it. Toyota and Lexus in the states have had issues with the converters and i have found this on a few forums, the symptoms match the rumble noise and feel - some were replaced under warranty. Some owners have had success in changing the box oil which leads to the question that's been posted a few times on the need to change the box fluid - its supposed to be lifetime (sealed unit) no need to replace the oil. I guess you need to consider what manufacturers consider is meant by "lifetime" I will give it a check over none the less. Its not causing any issue at all but its one of those niggly things that you know is there. 10 year old car at 100k, you have got to expect a few issues...

I am doing a service on it next weekend will check the points indicated - I would rule out wheel balance as tyres are evenly worn and am certain its not them. Have been on the Toyota forums in the USA - issues with torque converters in auto gear boxes in the early 05 to 08 trucks - rumble strips they identify it as over there as the description of the noise. Hope not ... the noise/rumble is faint but its there and not increased since I first spotted it so may just live with it if it turns out to be that until it does (if it does) present itself with worse symptoms

Got a strange problem (well not a problem yet) with the running of the car. I noticed this last year when driving on smooth roads – not many left I know but I was in Scotland at the time and to be fair the roads seem better maintained up there (maybe need to be because of the snow?) anyway … I have noticed this more recently as well, again when on smooth roads, no pot holes or rough surfaces. Its not an issue but I feel it could be building up to one? When driving at low speeds in any gear there’s no problem. Driving in higher gears 4,5,6 in auto and in manual at higher speeds 50+ theres a low “rumble” type of noise. I have only really noticed it on long journeys before or regular journeys where you can hold a decent speed for a while. I have been thinking how best to explain this and its best described as driving over the rumble strips on the road (not the ones defining the hard shoulder and the road but the ones you face when coming up to some junctions which are laid across the road) The noise is rather a rumble than a noise but can both hear and feel it. Its mechanical as it comes and goes in a regular pattern. By that I mean it will come on for approx. 2 seconds then off for approx. 2 seconds then on for 2 seconds and so on in a regular pattern. It is very low noise/rumble and unless you know its there then you would miss it. I am not overly concerned but would like to see if anyone has experienced this or know the issue. Car is just under 100k / petrol / 2007 model / regularly serviced with no other issue. My thoughts on what it is / isnt Tyres – no, as theres no problems with them and the noise does not relate to how the tyres can produce it in the regular pattern Water pump – Don’t know what this sounds like when its on its way out and I am sure it hasn’t been replaced from factory Wheel bearings – have never had these go on a car before so cant match the noise but guess the noise / rumble would be there constantly if wheel bearings Air con – is not on Alternator – bearings? Don’t know what these sound like when on the way out Carbon build up – unlikely but not ruled out Gearbox - aaaarrrggghhh - hope not If I was to make a guess then its coming from the front of the car and not the back which would kind of rule out the diff or any moving parts in the back? In fact I am pretty sure when the noise / rumble is there then it doesn’t go up and down with the speed of the car, its just there so I am flummoxed !! Anyone with ideas or experience of this?

sure is ... and after the recall work for the fuel gasket been done doesn't this strike you as being suspect after the works done... where is the seal? Sticking/plugged or failed fuel injector Low fuel pressure (possible plugged/dirty fuel filter!)

That's good going - its one of my jobs soon although I was contemplating getting them done when I book car in for the fuel seal recall.. I would rather do it myself just so I know how to do them..

Was that 2 hours for the complete job - from start to finish?

Did you notice any differences in the drive of the car - mines just coming up to 100k and I have thought about doing soon.

I like to, in the winter, have the temperature showing on the dash display in order to let me know to look out for ice but I also like the range showing also and find it a bit of a pain having to scroll through the options to get from one indication to the other all the time I have thought for a while about getting another temperature readout but don't want to clutter the dash board by sticking things on etc or using up the power slots in the car. A while ago I bought a small temperature readout which came with a sensor. I was looking for one at a specific size to fit on the dash by the drivers air vent. This was the only flat piece of the dash that I thought it would fit in and be relatively out of the way of things without destroying anything. Below is the sensor and read out I bought - from ebay. I have had this in the car for 3 weeks now and it is pretty accurate compared to the dash display. I thought today, while the sun was out, that I would give it a go and see if would fit ok in the dash. the size was ok and the depth of the unit was ideal. Before starting I placed a needle in 4 spots around where I was going to cut and I found it was foam and plastic. I opened up the side of the dash (it just clips off and on, just needs a bit of force at the front of the dash to remove - handy to know if anyone is wiring in their dash cams) to find what the plastic was and it was only a small part of the frame so was safe to cut out. I went ahead and cut out the hole needed to house the unit - taking the vinyl off first and then working the foam out The plastic is shown in the second picture and just needs to be removed - it is hollow when cut away. Using a Stanley knife - the plastic is quite easy to cut away to allow the correct depth to fit the display into. It would be easier with a dremmel type drill but a bit messy I expect. With the correct depth gained the display slots in, (placing the sensor wire through the hole first) The wire is routed through the dash and is sitting in the door frame You can just see the small sensor poking out of the trim in the second picture - this might not be its resting place, will need to compare it with the car temp display to get a good match. It was within 2 deg when I placed it here. So with everything back in place, from the driving position the display is in view without having to take your eyes off the road. Job done - the display uses 2 x button cells so no wiring needed. All told, it took about 15 mins to fit and looks like its a manufactured part !!

Good job ... definitely the harder of the two jobs. Any other issues faced?