ChumpusRex

Yes. A catalyst is required to meet MOT standards on a petrol car, if one was originally fitted. On a diesel, a catalyst is not required. Instead, the car must meet emissions standards at the time of design. There are many ways of meeting emissions standards, of which one way is a DOC. VOSA did consider making a tampering with diesel emissions a fail, but because there are so many possible options, they considered it would be impractical for testers to be able to check these complex systems which differ from model to model. So, for a diesel, yes - there is a loophole, and you can remove an oxidation catalyst.

I thought I'd update this. For the last 3 months or so, I've been noticing really smelly exhaust, proper rotten eggs, especially if I take the last 400 yards quickly. I couldn't work out where this sulphur smell was coming from. That's when I realised that it corresponded to the time I put the MOA in, and the main active ingredient in MOA is... sulphur containing lubricants.

The oxidation catalyst on the exhaust is not monitored electronically, and it is not tested or inspected at MOT time.

Disconnecting the battery will clear the codes. However, if the fault is still present, then the codes will come back within 3 or 4 engine starts.

Disconnect the battery. If a charger is available, stick a charger on the disconnected battery for a couple of hours. The reconnect the battery and see what happens. It's possible that the reverse jump start has confused some of the electronics, and they just need rebooting. Car electronics are meant to be designed to withstand a reverse jump start, but even so, it is possible that some electronics could be damaged. If after a reboot, things aren't working, try getting someone with a techstream scanner to read the codes off it.

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The warning is to do with the high pressure common rail direct injection fuel system. This operates at about 1800 psi, so the spray can cause serious injury, so you need to depressurise the fuel system (unplug the fuel pump fuse and run the engine till it stops) before servicing the injectors or removing a fuel rail. You'll need to take off the fuel rails if you want to service things like rocker cover gaskets, cams, etc. Thankfully routine jobs like spark plugs can be accessed without disturbing the fuel system, but you can't get the valve covers off without disassembling the high pressure fuel system.

This is a feature of the IS250/220d model. In the US, there was a customer-service bulletin about this because so many people complained. As a result, lexus do offer a reduced dust brake pad for the front wheels. Not all UK dealers know about these pads, so you may have to ask for them by part number: 04465–53030

The latest maps won't do anything about the ridiculous destination entry system. The other issue is that even the latest maps are a couple of years out of date. Lexus get new maps from Nokia every year or so, but there is about a year's delay because lexus modify and customise the maps, and this customisation process is about a year behind. The other issue is that the Nokia maps aren't very accurate and Nokia don't have a sensible system for reporting map errors.

Yes. That should be fine. Just watch the offset. The is250 needs a big wheel offset to avoid rubbing the arches. Unlike many German cars, there is very little clearance, so you may run into trouble just slapping anything in. Make sure that the wheels you want are available with 40-50mm offsets.

It works fine, but you can't continue unless the part number is correct. When you get the part number correct, the option to continue appears. Some discs have 2 part numbers on, but only 1 works for the site.

Remove the trim panel with the clock on it. There are two small holes in the sides. Put some small picture hanging nails in the holes which will release the clips - but check your tool pack, there might be a trim removal tool in it. Once the trim panel is removed, the DVD drive will be visible. Use the menu to eject. Press "Info", then select Map DVD, then press eject.

Check out http://www.lexus-mapupdates.eu/ this will let you order a new set of discs. You just need your current disc to verify compatibility before it will let you order. The site will tell you the verified compatible part number, in case you want to try to get the disc another way. A cheaper way to get the discs is to get one off ebay. The discs are only sold officially as a pack of 4 - UK/West Europe, South Europe, North Europe/Scandinavia and East Europe. There are lots of sellers in Sweden, Germany, Poland, Spain, etc. selling the UK discs. For example: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201145520900.

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The denso one is long enough to fit on either side.

The left and right "sensor 1" sensors are the same. The lexus part is 89467-30040 The denso branded part number is 234-9051 Personally, if 1 has gone, I'd replace both at the same time - if you get the denso ones, they're not that expensive. Plus both sensors will have been exposed to teh same fuel, same driving conditions, etc. so if one has worn out, the other may not be far behind.

Sharkfins are too small to be useful for DAB or FM. They are typically used for satellite antennas (GPS or satellite radio) or mobile phone connections (e.g. for in-car wifi or information systems)

This is normal. When you first start the car from cold, the engine runs in a special mode to warm up the catalyst. In this mode it produces very little vacuum, which is needed to power assist the brakes. Once the engine has been running for about 20 seconds, it switches to normal mode, and starts generating a big vacuum, and the brake power assist comes up to full power.

Charged me £15 each fob. And they wonder why I'm not going back.

There used to be 2 LF-As registered in the UK. Now there is only 1. Anyone know what happened to the other?

The switch is the kickdown switch. When you press it, it tells that gear box to select the lowest gear possible for maximum acceleration.

Don't forget that the car works even with no key fob battery. So you'll never be stuck if the battery runs out. You can use the metal key to open the doors (the door handles have a plastic cover over the keyhole). To start the car, press start with the key fob, or have the fob directly over the button when pressing. I' d suggest buying a pack or CR1632 batteries off eBay, and keeping one on the car as a spare in the future.

The exhaust will smell a bit of fuel when cold, because the catalytic converter won't have warmed up; and the cat only filters out the fumes when hot. The IS250 was designed for USA Ultra-low emissions, so the catalyst is designed for very fast warm-up (but to do this, the ECU deliberately rigs the engine to run very inefficiently for the first 20 seconds or so, so that cat has burn off lots of unburned fuel) The ECU does monitor the performance of the catalyst, and will put the emissions light on if the catalyst isn't up to par. One possibility is a hole in the exhaust which is letting fumes out before the catalyst (or between the first catalyst and the secondary catalyst), although this too might trigger an engine light (but it depends where the hole is in relation to the sensors). It would be worth having a sniff around the car - under the bonnet, behind the front wheels, etc. to see if your nose can find a source. You are also likely to be able to hear a hole as the exhaust escapes under pressure. Possibly it's a bad batch of fuel, but pretty unlikely.

Some crooks have fob amplifiers, and I've even heard of a walkie talkie system for fobs (one part is placed near the fob, and a receiver is placed near the car) allowing the car to communicate with the fob at a distance.

The carbon build-up on the intake valves is a common problem on direct injection petrol cars. On the US forums, the IS250 has horrendous problems with this, with many people getting engine replacements. It doesn't seem to be as big a problem in this country, possibly because the IS250 is less common, but possibly because the fuel quality in the US is terrible, whereas the minimum standard for petrol in the UK is extremely high. It's also possible it is something to do with oil - in the UK, lexus specify 10k mile oil changes and most dealers use a high-end synthetic oil, whereas in the US lexus specify a 5k mile oil change interval, and in order to keep service costs down, lexus sell a special US-edition downgraded oil filter, and most garages end up putting the cheapest possible oil in. Intake valve deposits are something which is now a specification for new oils - so the oil has something to do with it, and the latest specifications e.g. API SN do require the oil to be resistant to deposit formation. So, I try and use a fully synth SN grade oil where possible (I use the cheap Euro car parts Triple QX 5W30 C2).