is200 Newbie

It is just the cold as stated above - you can actually see this when you select the display for the gear it is in when you are first driving it - the display will show 5th gear while in auto until the ECU gets the signal that it can move to 6th. A1 to the info given above and it is right. I would not worry about it.

Plus 1 for the Castrol A5 Magnatec - Halfords had it on offer before Christmas at £15 for 4 litres, not sure if it is still available at that price. Filters i find from Eurocarparts for around £8 (think the brand is mann or crossland) not had an issue. Air filter i have used is an oiled K&N and had that for years now,just clean it every year or so.You will need a special tool to remove the oil filter housing but the work is really easy to do and everything is accessible. Cabin filter worth doing also. Gearbox is not worth the hassle in doing unless you are getting error codes

Got to ask, are you sure all the power leads are connected?

As far as i believe, on the 250 at least (can see you have a GS but it is probably the same) The radio aerial is integrated into the heating element and i an sure it is the element that is the middle vertical one. You will probably find that the elements have dried up and flaking off the glass if the radio reception is going.

To be honest i would find the time to do it myself - £850 is a rip off. £200 to £250 for the parts and about an hour or so job to do. £600 saving and its an easy job. Failing that and you dont have the time then i woudl imagine it woudl cost around £300 from an idie if you supplied parts

Stab in the dark but are your calipers siezed?

Have seen other owners reporting this from time to time and they have, most of the time, found it is the tyres rubbing on the felt arches - easy to see if you check the arches for rubbing marks.

Check the roof top one - especially the end of the spoiler where it is bonded to the car. My last IS had a roof spoiler and it was not adhered strongly to the body on one side (think water had got under the adhesive) - A bit of Tiger Seal fixed it permanently. I dont remember it making a noise tho Other area to check would be the felt inner wheel arch liners to see if they are secure

I was looking for one of these and they are generally around the 8 to 10k price range - the mileage is low but thats not always a good thing for big engined cars - mine was low, particularly for an old car (now at 35k for a nearly 14 year old car) but have had no issues at all but looked after it from 25k when i bought it. so think i have been a bit lucky. Dont think the dealer selling this knows the market for these which leads to the fact that does he know the car and what he is selling really, would make me go over it with a fine tooth comb looking for issues if i was buying it. It is way over priced, knock 6-7k off that price and it will sell easily.

They dont light up

The PCS you mention was an added option - on the earlier cars it will be very very rare to find. Most obvious way to see if it installed is if the front badge is made of a acrylic - the sensor lives behind it. Head unit - putting a sat nav unit in a non sat nav fitted car - dont even contemplate it, you would be better buying an SE-L with the ML system already fitted. Engines clogging up?? Some experience carbon build up - more so experienced and reported on in the USA. Maintain the car and it will look after you. Best look for the spec with the sat nav installed. SE-L has the best spec of this age.

Use the ramps - safer than the stands. I changed my exhaust from the middle to the back (including the boxes) when i made it for my last IS with no issue. Obviously would be better on garage ramps but who has these in their drive. Make sure for added safety to chock the front wheels.

post a picture of the seat controls - they are located on an SE-L beside the cigarette ash tray. Its either left for cooling and right for heating or the opposite way around, cant remember and its too cold to go outside to check... but either way there is an indicator light to tell you they are on. Unless you are doing the miles in this car, other than a "sniff test", have you thoroughly researched the issues with these diesel models?

...... and dont forget to grease the rear calipers also - these seem to fair worse compared to the fronts

The top pin has a rubber bush around the end of the pin - the bottom one doesn't - i am pretty sure it was placed on the pin to stop rattling ... saying that, your caliper should not be loose if the bolts have been put back on tight? Make sure you are using the correct grease - a lot of recommendations to be had here but i use the Toyota red rubber grease from Lexus at £8 per tube (or it was when i bought it last) and make sure to grease the pins at least once a year, again, differences of opinions, i do mine every 6 months and never had a seized caliper Get a cotton bud into the pin recess when changing the grease to make sure all the bad stuff is out before adding the new.

Your next MOD should be to wire the door handles with LED's so that they come on like the puddle lights do when you are close to the car with the key.

Could they have accidentally been wiped - are they placed beside any strong magnetic fields? To test them maybe try and open the boot using the small button on the remote?

You can also turn them off if no luck with finding the issue - the function key is located by the wiper stalk on the dash accessed by the left or right controls on the button.

I presume its an automatic .... just place it in neutral - make sure steering lock is off, steering will be heavy If it wont go into neutral (N) then hold the shift lock button down and try then.

I know, found it last year when my old one was written off, had done 25k then. Mint car still. More impressed that it has a sunroof !! Have not long changed jobs so mileage will not be added as much and also going part time next year so daily commute will be 60 miles a month so it will be a good buy for someone when i sell it. Probably get my cycle back on the road so wont use it as much next year either so its going to sit idle .... dont want my wife to drive it as it will get wrecked ..😉 So unsere whether to keep and get a smaller car although the convertible IS is tempting ..

Yes, i checked on the Gov web site when i found out - you have 28 days from the date of the MOT to go back to the garage who performed the MOT for them to update it - after that you need to go directly to the DVLA.

Good job - Is your car a 2008 model

MOT time again and another pass - no history on this car of any failures still and it is almost 14 years old 😊. But, had an advisory on it this time for a deteriorated rear number plate but still readable (plate is starting to de-laminate) .... bummer....., a bit harsh , and there goes the clean history, at least its not a fail !!! Also, i dont know why i checked, i checked the info on the Gov site and it stated the car was on 85k miles, i dont think so... its only on 35k so i took it back to be updated - i am amazed at how easy it was to do. Good job to check the info after an MOT to save a lot of hassle in the future.

Also check the how to guides on the forum - there are a few instructions of how to strip the caliper down to grease the pins.

I doubt ATS would have taken the calipers off - Why do i say this, the time is off (takes someone knowing what they are doing about 15 minutes to do each wheel alone. They didn't know about the pad depth required and the wear factor, the pad depth you have should last with normal breaking at least 2 years possibly more. I have got to question the pin grease they have used if they are still stating they done it - some of these companies use copper ease or grease which cannot be used for the pins as it will soon degrade due to the heat, clump up and sieze the caliper. No specialist tools are required to grease the pins - a 14mm and 19mm spanner/socket to remove them. Rubber grease to re grease the pins and bobs your uncle. Would take a garage about an hour to do so would cost an hour or so in labour and cost for grease (no parts are replaced) If you have the space to do it yourself i would recommend if confident to give it a go, you will soon realise how easy it is to do.