jumbojake

managed to get some diesel for my IS200d today .. taken 4days to find some ... 8 petrol stations in my town, only one has fuel at any time, so have to be lucky before they run out .. absolute disgrace and the government / BBC continue to blame the public...   people have not started consuming more fuel, clearly the delivery infrastructure has been on the brink of failure for some time.. just took a nudge to break it, it's not as if you can buy more than you tank will take and people are not consuming more.  All the local supermarkets have some empty shelves... seems like there is no sign it will improve anytime soon 

for my IS, a reluctant respray of their badly repaired wing....(not spotted when I bought it) ...  and for the Rx, a keyring and golf umbrella ... all together very different experience from two different dealers, despite the same franchise ...  (never use the first one again)

IMO, the Toyota diesel is pretty good, but it has seen some problems in early models ... from what I have heard elsewhere no different to the German brands.  I'm keeping my IS200d running as it is more cost effective than changing (given work from home). .. I have no complaints, no engine problems, no smoke, runs well ... it is a great car!

I think most of the discussion here is based on perception, as compared to the petrol it is clearly a worse option .... but I'd rather have my IS200d  than a 3 series, C class or Audi A4 anyday

I've been very happy with my IS200d, but as everyone says here, steer well clear of the IS220d... they're not all bad, but why take the risk?

If it has to be diesel, then IS200d.... but worth spending a bit more for an IS250  (I wish I did !).

nothing worse than rattles.... you can buy felt tape on eBay... it fixed a problem in my IS200d, which Lexus couldn't/didn't/wouldn't ..... as someone said above, use the Lexus portal to gain access to the official workshop procedure, so you don't break anything.

We had similar on our Rx, so I can sympathise for your problems.  

As far as I understand, the engine charges the traction Battery and  the traction Battery charges the 12v ... but that all needs the computer to manage, which will not start without a good 12v.  

if your traction Battery is dead, you're in trouble... you cannot jump start that, the jumpstart cables only power up the computer that manages it all.

For us, I took the 12v out, recharged on the bench... that was enough to kick the computer into life, and as the traction Battery had enough charge left, it started the engine and all good from there until I could replace the 12v.... I had to do that for 10mins twice a day until the new one arrived.

Note, a dead 12v Battery cannot be recovered, it will never hold charge for long, as it is damaged inside...  so this is only temporary, you need to replace it, which is sadly more expensive that you would think. 

Annual service coming up and I plan to service the front & rear brakes.... they don't get much use and want to ensure the disc and slider conditions... I suspect never been touched by previous services with the dealers.

I'm very experienced with normal cars, but this will be my first time working on hybrid brakes.... I've read some weird stuff about braking systems on hybdrids ... anything I need to be wary of on this one ?  (CPU, relays, error codes ??)

While I'm down there, I'll replace the fluid... 99% sure Lexus didn't replace it on the last service they were supposed to (filler bottle still had dust on it after the service)  so could be original also... I found the official procedure to replace fluid without techstream .. two man job, combination of buttons/gear positions to set the mode, followed by  holding pedals for specific times while bleeding.... anyone done this ?

it is possible, but only if you are thin with long arms.... neither applies to me!

For me, my drive is on a slope, so I use ramps to level the car, giving me easy access.  

the should all fit  ... the only difference is by year... some are solid dics, some are vented ... just check what you have and order that variant for the right year.

even better, try lexus parts direct, I find they are often  competitive prices and should match your chassis number

when mine seized, I couldn't get the slider out, so had to replace the caliper... not the end of the world, just frustrating the lack of annual greasing cost £200 replacement.

MY friend with a Merc C class had his CPU replaced twice, one with an Audi A6 had two fuel pumps, diff and turbo replaced and BMW had an issue with injectors and bores.... none of them were covered under warranty, all cost them thousands each.  For IS220d, it seems it had one serious issue, which was covered for most people by Lexus even after the warranty had expire.

I think you'll find a lot of really negative views for both IS220 and IS200d on here, but you have to take it in context compare to petrol variant... IMO, the diesel still compares more favourable then the German variants... all of my friends have had so many problems with their BMW/Audi/Mercs, cost them thousands.... any luxury car of a certain age will have potential bills.. the IS220 just happens to have slightly higher odds than the petrol  (Still lower than German ones!)

The Lexus oil burner might not perform as well, but it's still head and shoulders more reliable.... for me, it's quick enough. I may have bought the IS250 if I did a bit more research at the time, but when I listen to my friends crying over their garage bills after only a few years, along with  poor dealer service, I don't regret my choice it at all !

you also might want to factor in the novelty factor of a new car.... along with the enthusiastic driving it encourages.... once that wears off and into the daily commute, it will perhaps be more representative. 

Usually, for a diesel, if there is no smoke, then it's usually pretty good shape, most problems throw out smoke!   I get about 45mpg in my 200d, never had any engine problems over 7years  .. but that's mostly motorway, which is really what a diesel is best for.

make sure you change oil often and use the low ash mix (c2 grade).. not much to go wrong after that.

'Advance'  seems to be the trim level they put on the outgoing models... both my IS200d and my wifes Rx450h are both 'advance' ... both were last 6months of the model before phased out. 

For me, it was both value for money, but also the last cut of the model usually has all of the know issues fixed ...

no decision yet.

I tend to do my own repairs, but this feels like it would be easier to let a garage do it... balancing the rear suspension sounds like it could be difficult using a trolley jack and stands ..... but takes me a while to find a garage I could trust!

That Lexus deal was good, lexus parts direct want 414 for the parts alone!

Just got an advisory for misting on the rear shock of my 2012 IS200d

Looks like about £200 for the parts, but the workshop manual makes it look like a real faff to do ... levelling, resetting the headlights ....

Has anyone done it... anything difficult or awkward?

Looking at the following site, I suspect your part number is 90119-12358

http://japan-parts.eu/lexus/eu/2011/is250-350-2-d/ale20r-aeflxw/2_242520_010_494W/powertrain-chassis/4802_front-axle-arm-steering-knuckle

looks like it's used on all sorts of Toyota's and Lexus... usually parts cheaper if you source the Toyota brand name

I'd expect they are standard across many Lexus and Toyota  vehicles... if you know the part number, you can do a search on the various Lexus/Toyota part sites .. or just ask the dealers (who will do the same)

We didn't extend warranties, but we did keep the Lexus roadside assist running... it's a high spec AA cover and AA themselves couldn't match the price... now we have 2x Lexus int he family, we've only needed them a few times (radio issue with door key on mine and wrong fuel in my wife's... as usually, once the AA turn up they are brilliant. 

may need to review the position once my son starts driving... hopefully a small Toyota  (if he wants a Lexus, he can pay for it himself!)

Mine is also awful, but I found the camera is excellent in the dark.. doesn't yours have the camera?  (can't remember what year they came in, but SE-L used to be a high spec)

to improve light, might be worth seeing if there is a LED bulb replacement, but higher output.    

if it is genuine, bite their hands off.. great price

glad to hear it is now sorted .... was there any explanation why it failed before?  If the s/w is still the same, it feels like this could be a flaky install whoever does it (I guess, if dealer does it it, it's their mess to fix) 

What was the final cost ?   (or was this covered by warranty... on the basis you followed the same official procedure?)

£202 for a GS phase4 .. see LPD ... I couldn't beat their price for my Rx450h Battery.. worth a look, I've found they sometimes waive the postage if the order value is high enough

just for interest  (but off topic)  .... there is an 'inspection mode' you can put it in, and with that set different engine idle speeds depending on throttle position... used for diagnostics and emissions tests

For the Rx450h, the instructions are

Perform the following steps from (1) through (4) in 60 seconds.
- Turn the power switch on (IG).
- Fully depress the accelerator pedal twice with the shift lever in P.
- Fully depress the accelerator pedal twice with the shift lever in N.
- Fully depress the accelerator pedal twice with the shift lever in P.
- Check that "FWD MAINTENANCE MODE" is displayed on the multi-information display.
- Start the engine by turning the power switch on (READY) while depressing the brake pedal.

I think the main reason for winter or all season tyres in the uk is grip at low temperatures.. I;ve got winter tyres for my IS ... and they do make a difference.... just a pain to swap and store wheels..... cross climate seems to be the way to go as what I have seen of test results, their summer wet grip is also really good.