johnatg

They look almost like one piece blades but they have extra joints in the blade backing which allows the blade part to flex more and they have a separate replaceable rubber insert just like old fashioned blades. They work better on most cars than one piece blades - I have hybrids on my MX-5 as well as on the Lexus.

The refills for the oem blades cost about £15 a pair from Lexus (at least, that's what I paid) and easy to change. Much better than any of the one piece wipers - Lexus screens need hybrid blades. The part numbers are 8521453080 and 8521453090. They are also specified for various models of the Toyota Land Cruiser etc so Toyota dealers will stock them as well. They are rather more expensive than quoted above if you buy them from the Toyota eBay store.

I've got Avon ZV7 all round. Excellent tyres in all respects but I can't comment on wear yet. They are designed and made in UK , Avon have an excellent racing pedigree and have been oem suppliers to manufacturers including Rolls Royce and Aston Martin for many years - not sure if they still are or who they currently supply. I have every confidence in them - and I paid £297.74 all inclusive for all 4 (225 and 245 section 17") from Halfords (via cartyres.com (edited 5/10/16)) in June.

No. Ebay. (eg this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cabin-Pollen-Filter-Lexus-Is-250-Saloon-2001-2011-VAR36-/291590851230?hash=item43e42b4a9e:g:2gMAAOSw5ZBWH~eY ) Be absolutely sure that you have read the guides here on how to replace the filter - especially the critical bit about setting the aircon to recirculate before you start.

Yes - pretty much - in mm - forget the decimal places! You don't mention what rim width your wheels are - standard tyre sizes for 18" rims (I think this will apply to F Sport models as well as others) are 225/40R18 and 255/40R18. But that is with 8" rims on the front and 8.5" rims on the rear. Don't put 255 tyres on 8" rims - you need at least 8.5" rims for them, and preferably 9". BTW - my comments in the post above apply also to fiddling with the suspension - probably even more so.

It is just how the majority of modern mid-range sports saloons are styled these days. The idea is to give a low 'sporty' front end whilst providing decent boot capacity. I think you will find that the gaps between tyres and wheel arch tops are pretty much even front/rear and the bottom of the sills are level with the ground. Any attempt to re-orientate it by fiddling with tyres/wheel sizes will upset those parameters and make it look very odd.

Take care with the rim width. Keith is correct in saying that the 255 tyres which come with Lexus rims go on 8.5" rims. In fact the maximum tyre size you should fit to 8" rims is 245 and indeed 8" rims are best suited to 225 or 235 tyres. If you want to go for 255s on the rear as per Lexus standard, you should fit 8.5" rims - you could fit 225 front tyres to them. The ideal rim width for 245 and 255 tyres is 9". Lexus are skimping a bit to fit 225 and 245 tyres to 8" rims on 17" wheels - they'd have done better with 8.5" They are also skimping a bit fitting 255 rear tyres to 8.5" rims at 18" size I don't think there'd be an issue with fitting 8.5" rims on the front with 225 tyres but you would need to check - they might just foul the arches under some conditions. Lexus supply 8" front rims on 18" wheels Ideally of course, you would fit 8" rims on the front and 9" rims on the rear. Re the centre caps - you may well find that the Lexus centre caps do not fit in whichever replacement wheels you buy.

I think UK TSB numbers are different - TSBs in UK are not public domain, whereas they are in US. Here's a link to it: http://workshop-manuals.com/lexus/es_350/v6-3.5l_(2gr-fe)/accessories_and_optional_equipment/radio_stereo_and_compact_disc/radio/stereo/radio/stereo_noise_filter/component_information/technical_service_bulletins/customer_interest_for_radio/stereo_noise_filter/sb0169-09/nov/09/audio_system_noise_when_using_auxiliary_devices/ It needs a revised wiring harness - I guess that should be available to buy from Lexus?

The 'official' 18" tyre size is 225/40R18 and 255/40R18 (as per Owner's manual, P 385). The bigger the wheel, the heavier it is and that affects handling (because it increases unsprung weight) but most people wouldn't notice in normal road use. Tyres for bigger wheels cost more and last for a shorter time. Bigger wheels have shallower side walls and that affects ride quality and comfort - again, it's marginal mostly. (Although from experience of roads in rural Ireland, at least, I wouldn't want to degrade ride quality!) Tyre width doesn't really affect comfort - it's the depth of the sidewalls that does. (I suppose it can be argued that shallower and therefore stiffer sidewalls give improved steering response, but I think the factors mentioned above outweigh that). In fact, the only reason to use wheels bigger than 17" on an IS is appearance - but I know lots of people here won't agree with me, so very much a personal opinion. I like darker grey - anthracite or gun metal. Refurbishers don't generally paint centre caps - you want the centre cap to be the same or darker than the wheel - careful brush painting is the way to keep the chrome effect logos - just find a suitable colour in a car accessory shop

A DPF or Adblue are alternatives - vehicles that use Adblue don't have DPFs. It has been used on commercial vehicles for quite some time - widespread use on cars is relatively recent. Mercedes, Jaguar and I think Renault use Adblue and it's getting more widespread. It's nasty stuff though and car owners are not generally expected to top it up, although I see it on sale in quite a few garages these days. Commercial fleets generally have a 'man' who needs to attend to it regularly. The additives mentioned here in the past which go in with the fuel are simply no alternative - Adblue has a separate tank and the fluid is injected (into the exhaust manifold) according to a program.

Take it for a drive - washing can make the discs look surprisingly rusty. But they do look pretty bad. If they still look anything like that when you get back you need some urgent investigation. Start with checking the slider pins.

All you need is Techstream software, the correct cable and a laptop. The software and cable comes as a package - use your initiative to find it! (Hint - the website address starts with 'e'. :-) ) PS - it can be argued that under the EU directive known as Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulations this is public domain stuff. Lexus copyright claims would not stand up. (But don't ask me to test it)

Here's a link to an interior led bulb kit: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexus-IS250-LED-INTERIOR-KIT-INTERIOR-LIGHTS-BULBS-LED-KIT-/260863230811?hash=item3cbca9035b:m:m6bGFK4tkJ5m4pf_mHH6yrQ Be aware that leds in the front dome flicker when the dimming effect kicks in - can be annoying at first but you get used to it! Also, if you haven't already got them, a set of plastic trim removal levers helps to get the lights apart without marking the plastic (you can find them on eBay). And check how the front dome fits together before you start - it's not obvious. Workshop manuals also available on eBay, but you may find a guide to the front dome assembly on here or online somewhere.

I don't think you need to worry about getting them in sync. I thought you could 'start with just one car' on a multi-car policy and add the second later?

It's more likely to be the slider pins than the caliper itself. Your mechanic should be able to free them, but you should certainly replace the pins and rubber boots as well as the discs and pads. You can't really improve the braking much at the rear - most of the work is done by the front brakes and unless you got into really extreme performance mods you might as well keep the rears standard. The Apec discs are fine - just the same as standard really. And the EBC Ultimax pads. Dealers would be able to supply pins and boots, but I doubt they'll keep them in stock. (They keep hardly anything except bog standard service stuff.) If you ask a Lexus dealer to do the job, they'll replace the calipers, mounts and everything as a unit. The sliders and boots are all part of that. Best place I know to get brake parts other than on eBay (and I doubt you'll get sliders and boots there) is Brakes International in Rochdale - http://www.brakesint.co.uk They do online stuff and they do pretty much everything you need (including pins and boots - they are officially called bushes.) Check whether you need solid or vented discs - likely solid, but check!

Spot-on advice from Allan. Only thing I would add is to make sure you check the rear faces of the discs as well as the front faces and check the condition of the rubber boots on the slide pins. At 7 years old they are likely to be quite deteriorated. Be careful when undoing the slide pins/bolts - if the rubber boots are stuck to them you can destroy the boot as you undo them. Gently unstick the boots if necessary with a bit of manipulation first. A potential problem you might come across - in my original post I blithely said 'rotate the (rear) caliper to clear the disc'. If the lower pin for the caliper (which goes into a blind hole) is seized, it can be very difficult or impossible to rotate it. There's a good post from Jack Cramer a while back on how he freed his up. And get hold of a workshop manual if you plan to work on the car yourself. They are available on eBay (they come on a CD). That will show you how everything fits together, torque settings for nuts and bolts, etc.

Sorry - complete red herring! Just went and checked - I mistook the child seat anchor points (which I also have never used) for some sort of recliner! (hangs head in shame!!)

Post deleted

That'll be Hire Purchase. It means the records show that the previous owner has not cleared his debt with the finance company, and the finance company may therefore still have a claim on the car. It may well be that the records haven't kept up with payments made by the previous owner, but you MUST get confirmation that the debt has been cleared before proceeding.

I don't think that sounds like a wheel bearing. Possibly seized brake caliper (slider bolt) or worn out brake pad? Can you feel heat from the disc on that side, maybe more than the other? Brakes always feel hot after a run, but look for something excessive!

Oops! No, it's not. From Yahoo Finance: <Quote> Toyota is recalling more than 1.4 million cars worldwide over faulty airbags. The recall affects 2010-2012 hybrid Prius and Lexus CT200h cars. <End quote>

Is this what the airbag recall is all about? From BBC News website this morning: <Quote> Japanese carmaker Toyota says it will recall 1.43 million vehicles worldwide over faulty airbags. The cars affected are Prius and Lexus models from 2008 to 2012. Toyota and other carmakers have over the past years been rocked by millions of recalls over problems with airbags from Japanese supplier company Takata. The latest recall does not involve Takata products and the problem has not been linked to any fatalities or injuries. The recall includes some 495,000 cars sold in North America, 743,000 in Japan as well as vehicles in Europe, China and other regions. 'Risk of injury' In a statement relating to the US recall, the carmaker said the vehicles had an airbag inflator that could have a small crack in a weld which could widen over time. The airbag could partially inflate and parts of the inflator could enter the vehicle interior, leading to "an increased risk of injury". Safety devices made by Takata have been linked to 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries. Globally, 12 carmakers have been affected with more than 100 million Takata-related recalls under way or expected. <End quote>

Another follow up from the safety recall topic - my visual safety inspection report recommended that my tyres needed replacing. They were by no means illegal, but pretty well worn and I was planning early replacement anyway. I considered various choices and came up with one I haven't seen mentioned here. There seem to be a category of tyres just now characterised by a superficially simple tread pattern, rather wide circumferential grooves and excellent 'tyre label' ratings (not that I set much store by them) of C for fuel economy, A for wet grip and generally less than 70dB for external noise. Typical tyres like this are Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance and Dunlop Sport BluResponse. But there's also the Avon ZV7 - only introduced this year and some sizes are still not available. They are way cheaper than the Dunlops and Goodyears - I bought 4 (2 x 225/45, 2 x 245/45, 17" rims) from cartyres.com for less than £300 - they seem to be Halfords, or at least all their fitting centres are Halfords Autocentres - never thought I'd buy tyres from them, but none of the local regular tyre fitters could match their prices. (BTW - Lexus quoted £540 (not for Avons)) I've not personally had much experience of Avon tyres - my daughter had ZV5 on her Mazda3 and they seemed fine. Avon have a good reputation - tyres made in UK and they are suppliers to Rolls Royce and Aston Martin. So - we shall see how they perform and wear! Not really been any long journeys yet, but they seem quiet and comfortable.

You could ask a dealer or try and find a IS250 brochure for 2008 (check eBay). Or failing that, try here: http://www.liquidleather.com/pages/colour-mixing They don't stock Lexus colours but they could match from a small sample.

I think it's just the passenger side - at least for now. Personal opinion - there have been vanishingly few deaths and injuries caused by malfunctioning airbags, yet many, many people must have been saved from death or injury during the course of this saga by Takata airbags working perfectly well. So I think it's better left on.