johnatg

Another interesting video - must watch if you're thinking of buying one or know someone who is.

Interesting video:

I guess that would have included change spark plugs. Only needed at 60k intervals and actually they are good for way more than that.

Possibly sounds like a failed relay. Open the fuse box up - you should be able to determine which relay it is. Quite possibly that's what's been causing the battery to go flat. Whilst relays can sometimes be fixed, the best course of action is to replace.

1. If you can park the car reasonably close to an electrical socket get a trickle charger (eg Ctek MXS 5.0). That will keep the battery in good nick and may well revive the one you have. 2. You could well have an object in the tyre. Remove the wheel and examine the tyre very closely - look all round each tread block. Things like thorns from a hedge or some wire nails can be very tiny indeed. If you find something, mark the spot with chalk and take the wheel to a tyre place for a puncture repair. Or you could try putting Puncture Safe (www.puncturesafe.co.uk) into the tyre. It is a magical gel sort of stuff which can stay permanently in the tyre. It is designed to be put into a tyre before a puncture occurs but it works well put in after so long as the puncture isn't too much into the sidewall. I have it in one of my tyres (put in 18 months ago) and it is also in one of the tyres on my daughter's car - I found two objects in her tyre, both causing leaks. Puncture Safe has sealed them completely and this was 6 months ago. It is best not used in front wheels - although they claim it doesn't affect balance - well it does, slightly. You need to put about 18 units in a GS tyre.

Efficient!

Auto Aid. Only used them once when the coil pack on my MX-5 gave up but they were effi4.

I understand that the warranty after a hybrid health check lasts for 1 year or 10K miles. If you reach 10k miles in less than a year you can just get another HHC and start again. But you'd have to pay for it if it didn't coincide with a service - free with a service. But then, services should be at 10K mile intervals (maximum) anyway, if less than a year has gone by.

Allow me to throw a bit of a curve ball into this. Fact is, most of us don't have experience of enough different tyres to offer much of a comparative opinion. And it seems, tyre develpment is still moving on apace and experience of a tyre even 5 or 6 years ago isn't up with the latest thing. I've mentioned Dunlop SportMaxx, Goodyear F1 Assymetric 5 and Continenental PremiumContact 6. I've had all those on a combination of my IS250 and GS300h over the last 10 years. I've also had Avon ZV7 which are great tyres for handling, braking etc but they don't last long. But I've been reading: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/features/91856/tyre-reviews-best-car-tyres-buy-now-2021 (Edit: the link takes you to results, but knock off the last bit and you'll get the full test narrative) They at least do up to date comparative tests on a range of (10) tyres. And - Dunlop SportMaxx have sunk to the bottom of that particular heap - F1 and PremiumContact 6 now rank middling. In fact, any of the 10 tyres mentioned would be perfectly OK on our Lexus cars - but the outstanding champion in 2021 tests is........Hankook Ventus s1 Evo 3. So there you have it - interesting read.

I suspect the noise varies. I have heard it described as squealing and that's what you would expect. I haven't heard it often, but when I have it has been more like there was something very loose in the suspension - definitely a rattle and not just when you are braking.

Agree with these recommendations. Original tyres were probably Dunlop SportMaxx - they are fine. I had good results with Goodyear FI Assymetric 5 and Continental PremiumContact 6.

Have you looked at them yourself? Measured the disc and pad thickness? Worn discs/pads are often reported as a 'fail safe' thing - there could well be plenty of meat left. Was there a report on the MoT? Is the MoT due anytime soon? I think there will be a 'rattler' - a springy bit of metal which contacts the disc when the pads are worn and makes a noise like the wheels are about to fall off! Just noticed - 4mm on the pads is plenty - MoT limit is 2mm. Those 2mm will take quite a while to wear.

Generic cats won't cause an MoT failure on hybrid cars because emissions are not tested.

It will be the secondary cats which have been stolen, not the primary ones in the exhaust manifolds. Sami's pics show the secondary cats. It would be perfectly possible to fabricate replacement sections using universal cats for a 'modest' price - so £474 sounds quite reasonable. A good repair using universal cats would be OK for MoT - they just have to check that the exhaust is intact. Emissions are not tested on hybrids and anyway the secondary cats don't do much - most cars don't have them, after all. There are cat shields listed on ebay (some including fitting) specifically for GS models.

You can make a replacement with a length of stainless threaded rod and a couple of ball joints (eg ebay item 323993244156) (Search ball joint m6 or m8)

You need to drive each window up and down with the switch on its own door, holding the button for about 3 seconds at each end of the travel. Have you disconnected the battery recently?

It's not covered. It's attached to the body ecu which is white. It just needs a bit of contortions to see it.

Just get well under the dashbord, some way to the right of the steering column, with a torch. Look upwards. You'll see it!

So is this all due to the timing chain having jumped some teeth? When do you think that happened? Before or after the first rebuild? I'm impressed that you've stuck with it this far! Is it mobile again yet? Good luck with the rest of the project!

Yes and yes. They are very strong - just fit them.

BTW - in passing - I don't like to remove plugs for checking. The seal depends on a crush washer and once it's been crushed the seal may not be quite as good on subsequent retightening - especially multiple times. Just depend on the car's self monitoring!

Indeed - but the OP wanted a comment on the 60 K service price where the schedule says the plugs get changed. Actually, I think it's pretty unnecesary - I'm sure that the plugs will last for close on 100K miles at least. And it's even more unnecessary if the '60K miles' service is being done at 6 years but with a lower mileage. I had the 6 years service done at a Lexus dealer with 40k or so on the odometer - I just requested that the plugs not be changed. They marked that ('No plugs') in the service book. Incidentally - Lexus use Denso FK20HBR8 plugs and they do cost about £54 or so discounted (for 4) - not sure what Lexus charge for them - probably a good deal more. But you can just as well use IKBH20TT - that's what Denso recommend, they are slightly more advanced technology (TT) and they are cheaper - a set of 4 can be had for £25 or less. Applies to the 450h too.

Yes - you can reach 4 of the plugs easily but the other 2 (left bank rear) need a whole lot of dismantling of most of the air intake system including the air surge tank (what people often think is the intake manifold) It is quite a time consuming job (probably more than an hour for a technician - a whole afternoon for an amateur)

Nothing really necessary, but if you're going to leave the car standing for long periods so that you get old petrol in the tank you could add Sta-bil - see ebay - it's a fuel stabiliser/preservative. I put it in the tank of my MX-5 which is laid up over winter and in my lawnmower fuel can. And for some gold standard protection if you have money to burn - this is good! MANNOL Ester Petrol Ethanol Additive. Again - see ebay.

I'm sure it is, but it's ridiculous if it costs a lot. The plugs are easily accessible - just pull the engine cover off, then remove the coils and plugs. No other dismantling involved so way easier than on a 450h. A set of 4 plugs costs about £54 - changing them takes 20 minutes tops.