johnatg

Agree with Linas on most of this, except that LED bulbs are useless in the foglights and headlights - they just don't project enough light to do anything. LEDs are fine for the parking lights because you are not trying to illuminate the surroundings, just look bright from outside the car. Are the HIDs original (ie does the car have self levelling)?. If so I don't think you can fit anything except HID bulbs. Please note the 'names' of the different lights - the outer lights (the HIDs) are the dipped beams. The inner ones (the blue-ish ones in the pic) are the main beams. That lampholder also contains the parking light bulbs. (Note - parking lights - only for use alone when parked!) The 'bottom' lights which Noo bie calls 'spot' lights are fog lights and should only be used in case of seriously reduced visibility (see Highway code rule 226 and Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 27)

The clips in the oe poster's pic are the ones fitted to early cars (2005, 2006 - possibly more). I've never seen them as being available anywhere. You remove them by pushing the pin down with a small screwdriver or similar. The ones in John's pic are those fitted to later cars and they fit early ones too - as do a whole variety of aftermarket clips on eBay. Just measure the holes - I think they are about 6 or 7mm - I forget - and there you go. But most clips have a pin with a large head which you pull out and can then remove the clip. It can be difficult to remove the pin from clips buried down a depression in the covers - the two at the front and one in each side cover. I kept some original clips for those positions and bought ones with big pin heads for the other positions. You can prise the head up with a small screwdriver then pull it out completely with a trim clip remover tool. The ones in John's pic might be easier to remove (with a Phillips or Pozi screwdriver). The original clips seem to be very fragile - part of it is resetting them carefully and correctly - when the clip is out, pull the legs apart until you can push the pin back out from the bottom. When replacing, push the pin down with your finger until just back in position.

PS - the LED bulbs referenced (Ebay) are HB3 main beam bulbs - whereas the PIAA ones are H11 - ie dip beam. Make sure you get the correct bulbs for whichever lights you are trying to improve! MoT regs apply to both main and dip - the main beam type (Halogen, LED or HID) is more obvious because you can see the bulbs

I think LED headlamp bulbs are just as likely to fail the MoT as HID. Also, they plain don't work - I tried a pair some years ago. Completely useless - I removed them immediately. They were very bright to look at, but they didn't project any light really. Much worse than Halogen. Cars which have LED headlights as standard (or option) (and they are the ones which are dazzlingly bright) have sealed beam headlamps (where you have to replace the complete headlamp unit if a bulb fails - and that is very expensive (see a recent thread referencing a Daily Mail article)). If you don't want to change bulbs for every MoT, stick with Halogen of whatever sort takes your fancy. It's not just removing the covers that's a pain when accessing the headlamp bulbs - you have to remove the whole air cleaner to get at the offside and the nearside is just plain ridiculous - you almost need a small child to get their hand in (even after removing the washer filler tube)!

That's all rather what I thought. And I guess some testers will let it pass on that basis - my tester apologised and said how well the HID conversion works in the light units and that the beam pattern was better and more controlled than with the halogen bulbs. But he said that he knew it was a conversion kit and they are not legal for the MoT test. He acknowledged that it was going to be an annual job for me...... But any tester not going by the book risks the wrath of DVSA (as it is now called) and I can tell you - if you are a tester you don't want to risk that! And what a right pain it is getting the bulb (halogen or HID) into the nearside light - my hands are not big but too big for the space, even with the washer inlet pipe removed. All sorted now - test passed and shh!! - you know what! Paul said: 'Plus it should have headlamp washers' Required for EU Homologation but not for the MoT test. But that's because some Japanese pick-ups don't have washers even though fitted with HID lights. But they can be imported and inspected and the import test examination doesn't require washers. Ergo, the MoT test doesn't require them. They have to be working if fitted however. (As does the auto levelling, which is in the same boat as above) And re the beam pattern with halogen reflectors - see above - that is true, but only when the halogen units use the reflector to focus the beam. IS250s with halogen lights use projector beams which use the lens to produce the beam pattern. They are the same design to all intents and purposes as the oem HID projector beam lights. The difference is that they don't have a moveable screen which is removed when you switch to main beams (nor the steerable thing). The 'halogen' versions are permanently screened.

A small price to pay compared with DPF problems, EGR cleaning, fuel filter, extra congestion charges, being banned from some cities etc etc ! 🙂

Not exceptional, but fine as far as I'm concerned. It's hard to remember what previous tyres were like and it varies so much with road surface anyway. Sometimes there's blissful silence, other surfaces can cause quite a roar.

I've still got mine - not for long though. Excellent tyres in all respects except one - my rears need replacing after 15K miles - down to the wear indicators.

Correction to my post above - the original plugs are Denso FK20HBR11 not FK20HR11. This is the entry in the Denso catalogue for IS250 spark plugs. Although it says for 05 to 13, the same spec is given for 2013 (Mk 3 IS250) onwards. The TT plugs are a newer design, currently the Denso flagship range. Each to his own. Spark Plugs kW Engine Codes Notes Application years Part number TT Iridium LPG/CNG Qty of Fit 153 4GR-FSE 08/05-03/13 FK20HBR11 IKBH20TT IKBH20TT 6

Ah..yes - diff oil changes do feature in the Lexus service specs - oddly, not on the Service Data Sheet within the Workshop manual. I used Redline 75W85 - the 75W85 is the name of the product as well as the viscosity spec. It meets GL5 spec. I notice that Febi Bilstein also do a 75W85 GL5 oil, slightly cheaper than the Redline. See the Opie oils web site. (other sellers have one or both - eg Demon Tweaks) Changing diff oil is a task which is somewhat poo-pooed in the motor trade (as is changing brake fluid). It's often not done and indeed, diff oil usually comes out looking pretty pristine when you do change it. The workshop manual doesn't actually cover changing it - just 'adjustment' of it. Incidentally, you really need a manual pump to do the change - it is very difficult to get even a squeezy bottle into position to inject the new oil. Always remove the fill plug before the drain (to make sure that you can) and use new washers.

Diff - Lexus don't specify but I did mine a year or so ago at about 60K miles or 10 years. Auto box - leave well alone, unless a fault or slow or snatchy change develops. That has only been reported here about once. The auto box is all but unbreakable and maintenance free. Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

Although I'd get the premium ones @ £25 ish if it was me! Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

Indeed +1 to that. Especially re the oil. Don't keep to Lexus oil change intervals - change at 5-6000 miles max. A timing chain job will cost north of £1000 on an IS250. Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

I'd try and get a free check. If l'm right, and l'm 99% certain I am, you'll need a full geometry check and reset anyway once the job is done. I'm staggered to see that RockAuto list the inner tie rods for £5.06 each (plus carriage etc) Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

In my experience, this sort of feeling etc is due to wear in the joints in the tie rods at the inner end. See the drawing which is, hopefully, attached. People have heard of track rod ends - that's the short bit that screws on to the tie rod. It has a ball joint which often wears, but if bushes etc have been checked these may be OK. But see the inner end - there's a joint where the tie rod screws onto the steering rack, covered by a gaiter. (NB - tie rod, track rod - same thing) I am not sure just how easily accessible the gaiter is on our cars - you may need to remove the under tray. But if you grip the gaiter with your hand and get someone to turn the steering wheel slightly, you may be able to feel obvious movement within the joint. The tie rods are easily replaced and shouldn't cost too much. (Relatively - no Lexus parts are actually cheap!) This wear is caused, IMHO, by turning the steering wheel when the car is stationary. In the days before we had power steering you almost never did this because it was too hard to turn the wheel. But power steering is very powerful so the wheel is easy to turn. Go to any high street or car park and you see people doing it all the time. It puts enormous stresses on the tie rod joints , both inner and outer ends. Don't do it, folks - make sure the car is moving, even if only slightly, when turning the steering wheel.

Definitely chain - there are three chains - a main one driving the inlet cams and two auxiliaries (one for each bank) driving the exhaust cams from the inlet shafts. Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

The plugs which Lexus Birmingham supply are the original Lexus spec which are FK20HR11 at £79.99 for 6. The current Denso recommendation for IS250 is IKBH20TT - a newer product which cost about £50 a set from numerous sources. Both are Iridium plugs. The IKBH20TT are fine - I fitted them a few months ago and I can't tell the difference between the originals and these. They are now the plugs recommended by Denso. Both specs are exclusive to a few Lexus models - they are not recommended for any other vehicles and there are no equivalent plugs made by other plug manufacturers.

I guess it comes down to the tester's interpretation of the identification of compatibility of the light source and housing. You can't tell by looking at it - the levelling control is a bit derivative. Some testers might give benefit of the doubt - others are too scared of DVLA! Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

Major. It's true that the car shouldn't be driven after that, but I have a good relationship with the garage and they know I live just half a mile down the road, so we agreed I'd fix it and call them for a retest. Didn't charge me for now! (There are a few other issues I need to attend to) Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

Well, not news, really - just confirmation. For those of you (like me) with HID conversion kits fitted because we have models (SE in my case) which didn't have oem HID dip headlamps. You may well have been aware that the MoT Testers' manual was revised in May this year to contain the following (amongst many other revisions): 'Existing halogen headlamp units shouldn’t be converted to be used with HID bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp. blah, blah - then Defect Category a. Headlamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements. Major b. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow. Major c. Light source and lamp not compatible. Major ' Well, I did mull over whether I should refit the halogen bulbs before the test, but decided to see if I would get away with it. I didn't - failed on category c. above. I asked the tester how he knew (as the projector beam light units on HID and non-HID cars look identical, and the headlamp washers etc are not mandatory - the wording of that is elsewehre in the manual). He said it was due to the presence of the headlamp height adjuster on the dashboard - oem HID cars have self levelling headlamps so that control is not fitted. No disguising that, I guess! He did agree that the headlamp aim and beam pattern was perfectly acceptable. (The same tester has passed it several times each year since I fitted the HIDs) Damn - an extra task each year now!

Er...ignore that - it's wrong. Can't play DVDs - my mp3 files are on CDs - you can get about 14 albums on one CD when they're in mp3 format.

Mine's a 2006 SE and I can play DVDs which I have burned on my computer with mp3 files. I don't have a fancy screen - just the standard player which takes 6 discs - can be a mixture of CDs and audio DVDs.

A wild guess - something to do with the alarm system? The only thing I could find, which might have nothing whatsoever to do with it or even with Lexus, is this: https://www.toyota-tech.eu/aimuploads/{A51984FD-A754-DA55-8117-57568E1BA754}/VSS1 Setting guide English ASM 000 09-0 PZ464-00130-00 PZ464-00131-00.pdf (If it is relevant, it might lead to someone spending an exploratory hour in the car seeing how much of this applies to the IS250 - or not!)

I look after 5 cars, so the 60 litres does for a while. I think oil lats a good while once it's opened - after all it needs to be good for a year or more in the harsh conditions of engine running, so I reckon it will last OK sitting quietly in the can even if it has been opened. I use Exol Optima LSG 5W-30 (eBay) in all the cars - Lexus, Mazda MX-5, Seat Mii, Peugeot 208, Mazda3 and my lawnmower. Good garages will keep a range of oils. Whether you get the correct one for your particular car is something else! I don't know about the suck method really - I know it's in widespread use and some cars don't have drain plugs any more - incidentally the 'smart' bit of smartearlybird I've mentioned here is spares for Smart cars - and they do a replacement sump with a drain plug!

Don't know - I don't have the luxury of auto wipers - mines a nice simple SE.