johnatg

If it's the same as a hardtop IS250, it's only in Singapore that towing is not recommended. (What the hell is the difference with vehicles for Singapore?) Otherwise the tow limit is 1500Kg with a braked trailer or 560Kg unbraked. But note the oil cooling provisos above and the general warnings about adverse effects on the car when towing. (see handbook - in mine it's P171.) You can only fit a type-approved towbar for towing in Europe (inc UK) and if towing was forbidden in the vehicle specs you would not be able to get a type approved towbar.

Possibly because it has a rather small, water-cooled transmission oil cooler. Perhaps you could ask an auto transmission specialist if there's any possibility of fitting a larger air-cooled oil cooler. Depends what you want to tow really. If it's a water bike or small dinghy on a trailer you shouldn't have a problem - if it's a large caravan you might.

The SGS ones work for me but I've not had them for long. No reason to doubt them so far and they look like good quality. Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

It opens a couple of inches then you need a light one finger lift to get it going. Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

Yep - see my recent post under 2008 IS250 boot strut part number. You do need to start the lid off with light finger pressure. Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

Just got round to replacing my boot struts. Before, it needed a fair haul to raise the boot lid and it dropped like a stone if I wasn't careful enough. Now it shoots up after a short easy one-finger lift as in Chris's video and it needs a good pull down to close it. Note on fitting - if you have a workshop manual, it tells you to strip out pretty much the whole boot. This is quite unnecessary - what you do is: Unclip the boot light and remove the plug. Remove the two rope hooks in the roof of the boot - they have release catches front and rear - just squeeze them and the hooks pull out easily. Pull the upper boot liner rearwards slightly - this releases four clips along the rear edge of the liner. The liner will drop down sufficiently to get at the struts (it's a bit of a reach to the back). Unclip the back end of the strut by bending the 'ears' of the stainless steel clip away from the lug with a small screwdriver. The strut now just pulls off. At the front, again using a small screwdriver, remove the retaining clip and pull the strut off the ball joint. Just push the new strut on to the lug at the back and the ball joint at the front. It clips in to place. You should be able to do one at a time - one strut seems to be sufficient to hold the boot lid in the open position. When replacing the liner - make sure that the plug/wire for the boot light is poking through the hole for the light, lift the liner into position making sure that the four locating clips along the rear edge engage properly and replace the rope hooks - they just clip in. Plug in the boot light and clip it in to place. It is a bit tight. Make sure that the edge of the rubber trim around the boot covers the edge of the boot liner. Job done. I got the struts from SGS - £52.78 inc postage for the pair. The new struts are actually branded nitrolift.com - Nitro-Lift services LLC appears to be a US Nitrogen services company. Don't worry about the IS300 thing on SGS web site - those are the correct struts for IS250 and IS220D etc. And don't bother to try and find part numbers etc on the original struts - they carry the logo for KYB (a well known shock absorber etc company) and some japanese writing - no numbers.

And it only seems to work if it's actually in a pocket or handbag (or held in the hand) of the person touching the door handle sensor. Magic!

It's unlikely you need to get to the pipes. Have you tried clearing the jets with a pin?

Probably about 2½ hours start to finish, but as I mentioned, there are a few frustrating things - inaccessible bolts, stupid clips, buried bolts needing a slim hex drive tool - once you've done the job and are prepared for them I'm sure it could be done in an hour. But this isn't a job you're going to repeat that often! Fundamentally you only have to disconnect/reconnect maybe a dozen clips and a couple of dozen nuts and bolts.

It would be possible to get a new key - the code will be stamped on the old one. But they cost £25 or so from Lexus. I agree with you that locking nuts/bolts are a waste of space these days. I had a deal of pain with my daughter's Peugeot 208 earlier this year - she bought it as new but pre-reg. She asked me to look at the brakes when she got an advisory following a service - no key in the place in the tool kit. Pug dealers unable to supply a new key without the code. I drilled out one of the locking bolts (which took an hour or so and several drill bits), then my talented neighbour made a new key in his workshop and we removed the others and replaced them with plain bolts.

That's just because they fit so many vehicles that they haven't specifically listed 2007 IS220D. There are loads of IS models listed from 2010 onwards - wheel nuts haven't changed since launch and they are the same on all models (and indeed on all Lexus AFAIK). You could 'ask seller a question'. They are the correct spec - M12x1.5, 21mm, chrome, flat seat. But no - I haven't used them myself. Haven't you got 4 chrome nuts in the box with the locking nut key? Or has someone chucked the box etc out?

M12x1. 5 See ebay item 172326411693 Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

I bought the 10 pack of washers at top right from here: https://www.smartearlybird.co.uk/search.php?search_query=lexus&section=product Superior washers of correct composite specification and they'll last me quite a while! There's a specialist for everything!

Yep - annually should be OK, but some people do them more often and it depends on miles and road conditions. Don't leave them longer than a year without a coat of looking at!

Needs checking to see if it has been fixed, but it probably just needs the slider pins freeing and greasing. Could need new pads and discs. Just possibly new calipers. If it's a garage/dealer, get them to fix it before sale. If it's private, factor in some cash - maybe £500 to cover worst case scenario, but actual cost should be in range £0 - £250 depending on who does the work and what is required. And get the rear brakes checked as well - they are more likely to suffer similar problems.

Quite possibly = all the electronics are very sensitive to voltage and if your alternator was not charging the voltage would have been low and possibly varying under varying loads. Get the alternator tested before committing to buying a new one (it might just be something in the wiring) and check the possibility of a rebuild - there are lots of specialist companies offering that - usually vastly cheaper than buying new or exchange.

Mine were and actually they were probably perfectly OK for a good few more miles and years yet!

I finally got around to replacing my spark plugs on Saturday. Mileage 67000 - I said I wouldn't do it until 100K but now that the Denso recommended plugs are Iridium Denso IKBH20TT rather than the original Platinum plugs and are available for £42 something a set I decided to plunge in. I also replaced the surge tank to manifold gaskets (3 off) - I bought them from RockAuto for about £19 including postage. I've watched the video on YouTube but haven't been able to find a workshop manual type guide for this job, so I've put one together so you can print it off and keep it handy whilst doing the job.. It uses the Lexus instructions for removal of the coils (which then gives you access to the plugs), an exploded diagram of the relevant part of the intake system and some notes which might help. You have to remove the air surge tank (incidentally this is not the inlet manifold, as frequently mis-stated, here and elsewhere). Most of the excess time for the job goes on a few frustrating things - the stupid inaccessible bolt on the back of the surge tank, the clip for the main power feed from the battery and a couple of other things. I'm sure that if it weren't for them the job could take an hour, but as it is, allow an afternoon! At least I have the satisfaction of having saved a wedge of money compared with dealer charges and I know the job has been dome properly. Incidentally I wondered whilst doing the job if the surge tank had really been removed only a couple of years ago when the fuel pressure sensor seal was replaced - or was it? I began to wonder if the dealer had just used some sort of sniffer, decided the seal was OK and done nothing. They had the car for a suspiciously short time and did a video of various safety checks too. It just felt as if no-one had been in there for 12 years, not just two years ago. Might be my imagination! IS250 spark plug replacement.pdf

That's not how the IS models are arranged. There's no radiator cap as such - the pressure cap is located on the thermostat housing and is described as the 'Radiator pressure cap'. The header tank has a non-pressure cap. I suspect the OP has a head gasket problem. You don't necessarily get mayonnaise or other signs of oil leakage into the oil. The water can just go one way through a failing gasket - the failure point can act as a one way valve. Relatively small amounts of water don't show up in the exhaust - my MX-5 has water injection and nothing shows in the exhaust! I agree with Terence - you need a pressure check - sooner rather than later.

When you put new pads in the pistons have to be fully retracted into the housings (even with solid discs) . I don't see how there could be room for wider discs. Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

I would think you have no chance of getting it fixed under warranty. If it's not too bad, sand down the damaged area to get it as smooth as you can (doesn't need to be perfect) then touch it up with matching paint - something like Halfords Wheel Silver, maybe, if your wheels are the original colour, or look in the car paint greys or whatever if they have been refinished in something darker. You might need to experiment a bit to get a good match - perhaps even mix two colours. Be careful not to get paint on the tyre - that looks awful. Then it will hardly show. It won't be your last scuff. Eventually your wheels will blister (if they haven't already) or get altogether too scuffed and then you can think about a proper wheel refurb job. If it is really bad, you could contact a local smart repair operator, but that's relatively expensive and as I said, it won't be the last scuff - wheels with low profile tyres scuff very easily.

They wouldn't be refurbished if they came from Lexus Liverpool - I would think they would only sell new stuff. (Brake factors sell refurbished ones). I bought a pair (note you should always replace brake components both sides at the same time) just over 4 years ago and they were described as modified. Don't get too excited - they look exactly the same as the old ones and they are just as liable to seize the slider pins - mine went sticky after the standard year and I've cleaned and greased the pins annually since fitting. I'm not sure, but it's possible these £79.99 ones are for solid discs (as I have). The vented disc versions are different (wider to accommodate the thicker disc). Has anyone with vented discs paid this 'bargain' price? (not that you wouldn't have paid anything if Lexus had designed the things properly in the first place). (Note for newcomers here - this all refers to rear brakes)

Excellent - I have never noticed any degradation when wet. Of course, the holes and grooves in the discs probably help.

Depends where you are in Cheshire. Two places I can recommend: 1) Highams, Alderley Edge (close to Alderley Edge station which might be handy) 01565 582223 or probably lower cost: 2) Technocars - ask for Simon - they are a bit in the middle of nowhere on a farm in Marthall, near Chelford. They could probably give you a lift to Alderley Edge or Knutsford. 01565 873588 Simon would fit your own parts - not sure about Highams (some garages aren't happy to do that - they feel they loose control re warranty etc) Don't use a dealer whatever you do. You probably don't need new calipers - the pins should/may free up - but dealers won't even try.

I have just replaced my EBC Redstuff pads with another set of the same. They lasted 26000 miles. I did say some time back that I would use Yellowstuff next time as I have experienced fade on a couple of occasions but only under extreme conditions - I know a few roads where I can guarantee to get the brakes to fade point (in any car) if there's no traffic and I'm in the mood! But I have since discovered that Redstuff are claimed to be the only pads which don't contain metal (they are Kevlar/Ceramic) - this means they produce very little dust and what dust they do produce is easily washed off. Yellowstuff are more heat resistant but they contain metal (as do all other pads, apparently) and they produce a lot of dust and like most brake dust it will be a pig to get off - the metal particles eat into the paint on the wheel. This tallies with my experience and talking to people who use Yellowstuff (mostly on race cars). Hence my sticking with Redstuff. Both Redstuff and Yellowstuff are expensive - about £90 for Red and £105 for Yellow. I use MTEC drilled and grooved discs - they are still in good condition after one set of Redstuff pads.