fjcfarrar

I had a mechanic check the wiring. And still no change. And it's loosin compression in the valves. I dnt think this has any thi g to do with the coils as yu have to take them out to check compression.

Thanks guys. And yh I did buy used coils. I just dnt want to buy new ones and end in same problem. I had them checked and there was no problem. Should I replace the engine ?

First check with your insurance company to see if theft of essential parts of the car is covered. If not and unless your thieves spent time wrecking other bits, loss of compression will have nothing to do with the coils and is probably a red-herring. If the engine ran well before the coil-theft it is almost impossible for compression to now be an issue unless the thieves also damaged the cambelt or otherwise somehow changed its timing position which could cause damage to the valves. If they just took the coils, this is really very unlikely.

The only certain way of properly checking your new coils is for them to be tried on another IS200. NO OTHER TYPE OF TEST IS GOOD ENOUGH. Bearing in mind the main reason for 2nd-hand coils to be available is that they are faulty, it is vital that they are genuinely proved to be good coils. Also it may be time to invest in new plugs of the exact correct type to eliminate these. Also check that none of the pins in the connectors are bent and don't make contact anymore. Check none of your fuses is blown.

It would also be a good idea to check that none of the sensors and particularly the Lambda sensor got smashed during the theft - these could make the engine run very badly or fail to start.

Finally, unless the thieves either ran the engine and revved it until it died before taking the coils, or shifted the cambelt on its cogs until the pistons could clash with the valves, there will be no reason to get another engine.

I am getting about 8 - 8.2 liter/100 (35Mpg) in the city with normal driving (summertime with less traffic jams and warm weather).

To summarise. IS220D fuel economy is never good enough to make up for having to drive a diesel.

Comparatively the IS220D has limited rev range, lower power, pointless high torque, increased noise/vibration, uses dearer fuel and has a gearbox which is not outstandingly good. To be fair, the latest incarnation despite lower power output drives considerably better.

The Lexus is no worse than most diesels; but complexity needed to keep emissions within increasingly stringent limits has worsened both basic fuel economy and importantly, the reliability/consistency of fuel economy. It also seems a strange idea to buy an expensive car with the aim of economy. A Toyota Avensis diesel seems a more appropriate package.

Ultimate economy depends on all the emission-control components continuing to work properly (this forum indicates that is not altogether likely for the IS220D) and how you drive - particularly modifying driving to take into account the different characteristics of the engine. These two last points largely explain the huge variation in mpg actually achieved.

I no I can't get the white seats or the blue. Until end of last year I only do 3 4k a year so white should be ok . But if it come down to it I would prob take black leather. What colour are you getting.

Model year 08 has slate black seats only and 10-spoke wheels are standard. The ONLY UK option is the sunroof and of course a range of body colours which do not include Ultrasonic Blue. In other countries - particularly the US, some of the equipment like radar-controlled cruise control and 10-spoke wheels were extra-cost options, but in the UK only fully loaded versions were available.

The UK MY11 version also has NO options other than the sunroof, but the body-colour range has been increased to include the Ultrasonic Blue with white seats now available. Thorsen LSD, DAB radio & Running Lights added, Satnav now uses Hard Disc. Dashboard updated. Adaptive Front Lighting has been deleted.

Copies of the full specifications are issued to dealer sales departments who may make one available.

The full MY08 UK spec is attached to this. It contains an error - it states the ISF has tyre-pressure monitoring when it doesn't.

ISF Spec MY08.pdf

i wish i could get a new one wilt the white leather. im lookin a 08 one. health to enjoy.

You should be very releived that white seats were not available on 08 models you are thinking about. If you have ever had white leather car seats, you would know they are a disaster - particularly if you drive in jeans. The white turns bluish where jeans rub as you get in and out, and this cannot be removed by cleaning. The same is also true with other fabrics than denim but to a lesser extent. White leather also gets to look a bid sad much sooner than any other colour. Regular cleaning and maintenance actually makes it become greyish and grubby looking. It is a shame that the ISF seats are only available in either rather depressing but practical black or totally impractical and slightly "Essex" white. But the ISF is not about the seats and trim. It is the engine/transmission that makes it special together with just enough luxury and toys. It is a lot of car for the money. Maybe not quite a supercar and certainly nowhere near as expensive as one.

Wow this was a bit of a heated topic,

Well to add fuel to all the fires I've managed to do a DVD bypass and also extrace the video signal to run 2 rear screens.

The DVD bypass will also enable you to access all the Phone options whilst driving and all the Navigation controls such as entering a new route or re the phone choose a new number to dial.

Of course I would reccomend the passanger do all this as they are the ones who will be watching the DVD on the move. The Speed pulse does indeed block the screen from working but this modification also bypasses that.

When the switch is turned off the car is in Full standard factory mode and the dealer will not have / find any issues with this.

Infact this very IS250 we did was for the head service tech of the Local Lexus dealership.

Hope you enjoy!!! ;) ;)

and a few pictures can be found of the set up here!!

http://www.dalcocaraudio.co.uk/Dalco_Car_Audio_Centre/Gallery/Pages/2008_Lexus_IS250.html

Kind Regards

Steve

It is not only seriously illegal with penalties that stretch up to custodial sentences (and rightly so) to operate an entertainment video screen within view of the driver of a moving vehicle, but also illegal to install or cause to be installed any means to do this. It is perhaps unfortunate that Dalcocaraudio have publicly stated here they have done just that.

A little more work on the Hardware/Software to blank just the front screen when the vehicle is moving and DVDs are playing would make it safe for everyone, is common sense and would protect installers and drivers from prosecution.

my neighbour,

has grazed the front offside bumper

and wing of my lexus,forward parking

into an impossible gap.!!!!

she knocked on my door and said

'oh dear i seem to have sctratched your car'

silly me, i'll buy you some T cut.!!!!!

i said its a bit more than T cut will take out

i'll take it to a body shop.

she was'nt happy when i came back armed with a quote

for between 200/300 quid.

and have'nt seen her since,not sure how to pursue it.....

In the five years I had my IS200LE, it gained 11 significant scrapes, dings and gouges in various car parks that cost a total of £2830 to repair. Individually, each was below my insurance excess, and NOBODY ever owned up to any of them; so I had them fixed at my own expense. I suspect you will end up doing the same to maintain peaceful relations with your neighbour.

The assumption by many is that these minor grazes etc. don't matter or cost virtually nothing to repair - the rest just don't notice/don't care what they have done/will say parking spaces aren't big enough (but would be if they lost weight or took some care) so it isn't their fault.....

In the grand scheme of motoring expenses, although annoying and unwanted, this is at the small change end of things; so suggest you get it fixed, stick a copy of the bill through her letter-box and hope her conscience makes her cough up.

Hi guys,

just wanted to gain opinions from those of you with HID installed on your is200. What temperature did you go for? I want a blueish tone, and from what Ive seen 8000k seems to be pretty good.

how hard was it to install on the lexus?

and is it a good bet to purchase kits of ebay for example these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LEXUS-IS200-99-01-MAIN-BEAM-HID-Kit-9005-HB3-8000k-/290467955199?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item43a13d41ff#ht_3639wt_1002

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hid-Xenon-conversion-Lexus-IS200-99-05-north-london9006-/220772932108?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3367179a0c#rpdId

Standard 4300k to 6000k are for HIDs to help you to see better where you going at night. Above 6000k is for attention-seekers who don't mind trading pretty blue beams for reduced effectiveness.

There must be somebody on here that owns one, & has it serviced.

Did you mean IS200 Sport? If so, the service intervals are the same for all IS200 versions which are mechanically totally identical except for a LSD on the sport - but I can't remember what the intervals are except the recommended interval for cambelt-change was revised.

An owners handbook would be a good idea for this and other things too - also an asset when you come to sell the car. They are available through Lexus or eBay. The same applies if you really do mean IS250.

i wonder what the suspension revisions are like, has anybody driven an early model and the new 2011 model to make a comparison?

In the ISF development program, Lexus found that a LSD produced results which were slightly different but not measurably better than the "electronic" differential eventually fitted. Despite this, they have now responded to consumer expectation that the more "hardcore" LSD ought be fitted to this type of car.

At the same time, they have also responded to the criticism that the ride is harsher than necessary when used for general road use, and to the universal recognition that the sports etc buttons were in a really stupid place by the knees. This, together with cosmetic changes means they were able to make a model upgrade with a hefty price-rise.

Perhaps if driven competitively and when pulling off on loose surfaces, the ISF is going to feel better with a LSD. With only a brief test drive, I noticed no difference at all in the suspension etc. but conditions were far from challenging. The new dash is a just matter of style & taste and is no big deal - although my choice would have been for the speedo to be bigger than the rev counter - particularly since the car prevents you from being able to over-rev it - or to be in a gear which is grossly wrong when driven in manual mode.

Overall, if cost was no issue; would I chop my 2008 ISF in for a 2011 model? No. Also, if the first version had been like the 2011 model, "upgrades" could just as reasonably have turned it into the 2008 version!

As you know, theses cars gets a lot of attention. Some of it (in my area at least) can be rather unwelcome. I know Lexus security systems are extremely effective, but does the ISF have an inclination sensor to warn of and prevent jacking and towing, or theft of the wheels? Lexus HQ and Dealer don't know the answer, but since the RX has this added security measure, you would think the more expensive and (arguably) more desirable ISF would too. Does anybody know the answer please??

Can't answer that, but my insurance company and most of those that I contacted would not consider insuring it without a Tracker. This covers most of the issues - although stealing the wheels probably remains a possibility.

hie guys!!!

so i got a 72k mile is200 today in Birmingham and me being stupid i ddnt test drive the but had the engine started and all.everything looked perfect.it was a bargain though.so as i drove like 2 mins later i noticed my clutch might have been slipping.could have taken the car back but i figured it wont cost much to sort it out.my gear lever was shaking as well,but the odd thing i seemed not to be moving fast at maybe 60mhp@ 3500revs.i did not smell any burning of the clutch, so i decided to stick to 3000revs till i got home.slowest drives of my life. lol.

before i order a clutch kit is it possible it could be something else or its definitely it.i dont want to order a clutch kit and realise the one there was still ok...i also noticed i could make a turn in the 5th gear and not choke.

if any of u guys could drive in the 6th gear at 60mph could you tell me how much revs you do.

thanks for feedback in advance

Find a longish hill. Drive at 30 mph in 4th or 5th gear. Put your foot down and if the revs go up without the speed increasing it is clutch-slip for sure. There won't be any smell unless you keep slipping it which is a bad idea because it can damage the expensive flywheel surface - hopefully this hasn't happened already and usually shows by clutch take-up when pulling off being excessively juddery.

There is a very faint chance that the clutch is not releasing properly when you take your foot off it - just make sure nothing is stopping the pedal coming fully up or (extremely unlikely) the clutch slave cylinder is sticking before it fully releases.

The final and worst possibility is that the clutch-plate is oiled because the rear main bearing (or gearbox drive-shaft) oil-seal is leaking. Not common these days and always shows by oil permanently dribbling out of the bottom of the bell-housing.

Theft Deterrent System blown up.

Anyone got one for sale?

Because some time passed after you bought the car before you found these problems, and have carried out electrical mods yourself; the dealer would probably try to wriggle out of full responsibility for the faults. But given your excellent photographic evidence, and that you appear to be more technically competent in the electrical side of the car than you would even expect from a Lexus Main Dealer's technician; I think you ought to at least be able to persuade the Dealer to contribute to the parts cost of this repair to protect his own reputation. This particularly because he stated that repairs to the lighting system had been carried out while the car was in his possession which may well have made matters worse rather than better - but certainly must have ignored some glaringly obvious problems that inspecting the lighting wiring & fuse-boxes etc. for repair should have revealed.

Technically, it can be easily demonstrated that your electrical mods have nothing whatever to do with the problems, because they involve totally separate circuitry.

Nobody wants to get involved in Legal Process, so some sort of agreement should be possible if both parties are reasonable in their approach. I hope you can find a replacement Theft Deterrent pcb, because sourcing individual components for it would be difficult, and the damage may well go beyond the obviously burnt ones.

Hi everyone I currently have an IS200 and I'm decided that an IS250 will be its replacement so I've done the usual autotrader haul and there appears to be some good cars around for example a sub 20000 mile IS250 SE-L manual (which is what I'm after) for around £12999. I'm looking mainly at the SE-L's but to be honest if there is a saving to be had and there was a particularly nice example of an SE I could forego the multimedia improvements of the SE-L.

Anyway I usually frequent the IS200 part of this forum and what I would like from you guys if you can spare the time is some top buying advice and a list of things to look out for the year I'm looking to buy would likely be between 55 and 07. In fact the SE-L I mentioned above is an 07 plate, so the things I'm wondering are

were there any revisions to the IS250 models over those years, is there a better year?

Any re-calls to be aware of?

Is there a year of car which would offer more value for example would an 08 SE be a better buy than an older 06 SE-L?

Does the IS250 suffer from any geometry issues like the inner tyre wear that the IS200 suffered from?

Any weak points in the interior trim?

Any issues with alloy corrosion?

Any engine related issues on hot or cold starts?

Anyway that kind of thing I just want to be as well informed as possible and not seem like an easy target or noob to the car sales man.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards

Mark

After the total control the IS200 Manual gearbox provides; I can understand why you want to stay with a Manual gearbox. However, the IS250 Manual gearbox is just reasonably good where the Auto box is SUPERB - generally including manual shift by both lever & paddles. Auto suits the car much better and also gives better fuel economy with lower emissions, so the Vehicle Excise Duty is actually cheaper than for the Manual version.

The only really common issue with IS250's is a range of rattles/creaks from the dashboard which are particularly annoying because the car is otherwise so quiet. These can be sorted as can the cold-start engine rattle some have had. Models with MM are more desirable, also having a wider range of goodies like the reversing camera - which is more helpful than you would ever imagine. Alloy corrosion exists, but is much the same as for alloys on any other car. Money can be saved by choosing one of the more unfashionable colours available.

The IS250 is very reliable, but a more complex car with some frighteningly expensive bits; so a Lexus Extended Warranty could be a good (but not cheap) idea.

has anyone tried this?

matus,i have a 200d for a day on the 25th.i will apply your motorway test to the 200d and to my 220d for a comparison.

Jumping from a petrol to a new IS200D for a day, I found it drove much better than the IS220D, with gear ratios etc seeming better matched to the engine etc. I would be interested in how you find the comparison.

Oil-cooler is probably not necessary because ISF only uses torque converter in 1st gear - but check with Lexus. Also doubt if rear suspension needs raising or spring assists - just a towbar with a raised towball if anything - but again check with Lexus. Would think Lexus US is more likely to have experience of these issues.

Isn't that only in sport and manual mode that it locks up the torque converter after 1st gear?

fjcfarrar, thank you for your suggestion, I will post a question on a US forum and try to speak to Lexus US. I am most concerned about the additional weight on the rear of the car, causing the rear tyres to contact the arches. Whilst I don't want to spoil the cars looks or handling, I would like to raise the rear of the car by approx 20mm. It will never see a race track and other than the usual blast up the dual carriage way, it will be driven quite sensibly.

Don't know a huge amount about modifying the IS-F but I'm sure there must be adjustable suspension kits out there for it that may allow raising the ride height slightly - again something maybe the US forums may have more information on.

I think if I had bought a good IS-F, towing would not be a problem. I didn't realise that there was anything unusual with mine.

It appears I have bought a wreck! Someone has bought a damaged car and made a cosmetic repair. The front crash bar is bent and incomplete, front bumper etc is 10mm too far back and rear wheel is way out of allignment (two rear tyres shredded within 200 miles). The offset on the rear wheels puts the edge of the rear tyres in contact with the arches.

I will get my money back from the garage and get another from a Lexus dealer.

Thanks for all input and look forward to discussing this again when I have a straight car.

I hope you don't have to remind the seller that a car-trader is legally responsible for undeclared faults with the vehicle and not you as the buyer - particularly if the vehicle is unroadworthy which this one seems to be. He can't even hide behind "as seen & without guarantee", "selling on behalf of a third party" or "just selling a few cars on the side" etc.

Hopefully you will get a proper refund without having to involve Trading Standards etc.

I just suspect a whiff of fraud here, and given that the vehicle may not even be roadworthy; if it has a recent MOT, I would not be happy about that either, particularly if was issued by this dealer or an associate.

Oil-cooler is probably not necessary because ISF only uses torque converter in 1st gear - but check with Lexus. Also doubt if rear suspension needs raising or spring assists - just a towbar with a raised towball if anything - but again check with Lexus. Would think Lexus US is more likely to have experience of these issues.

Just to add a little to the reply with the line... "nothing remotely sporty " can i suggest you go and look up some of the so called "sports coupes" both petrol and diesel and let me know how many hit 134 mph ? ..lets say upto 2L for petrol and 2.2L. for diesel.oh,and make sure they have great handling at speed in corners too... not many is there?. :winky: .ive had fast cars for last 15 yrs. and im very happy with the performance of my 220d looks good great to drive.and has a good turn of speed.. not great off the mark but it is a diesel :P .. but for a "sports diesel" its very good

IS =intelligent sports... nuff said :)

Do not disagree with what you say - but was trying to point out that with Lexus, "Sport" more refers to trim than anything else - with performance identical to non-sport versions.

Your "not great off the mark but it is a diesel" tends to reinforce the IS220D's lack of Sporting credentials. Everything is relative, but connecting "Sport" to diesels is about as realistic as connecting "Ambassador" to Ferrero-Rocher chocs.

I still think that as a replacement for the IS200 from the 2nd Gen IS range; the IS250 Auto MM will tick the most boxes. People also seem to have fewer moans about them on this forum and in surveys.

Incidentally, I believe IS actually stands for International Saloon :<)

Hi all

After reading this 'My Is250 Sport Experiences' i am having second thoughts on trading my IS200 Sport in for a IS220 Sport MM/IS250 Sport Auto MM,

has anyone else experienced these problems, your thoughts welcome

Leigh

Just as with the IS200, there is nothing remotely sporty about "Sport" IS220Ds/250s. Applying the word to the Diesel is a bit of a joke, definitely more bowl of porridge than ball of fire. Versions have better overall gearing a little less inappropriate to the engine.

This site shows the 220D has many more problems and niggles than petrol versions - but still looks good and is a bit cheaper to run. Compared with IS200 or IS250; the IS220D is noticeably rough - but only what you would expect from a 4-cyl diesel compared with 6-cyl petrol engines.

The general conclusion is that the IS250 with an AUTO box & MM is the best, least troublesome of the breed with economy that may well be better than your IS200.

Although you have done your wrap very well, it still doesn't look right. Maybe because it is so blank/empty. Perhaps fitting controls for rear reading-lights or the like would help. Leather trimming could look good but slightly "invite" sitting there - which might be why Lexus didn't.

I suppose technically you could fit an IS250 rear seat and seat belt as all the mounting points should be the same/present?

Been playing with skinning the plastic rear seat trim with 'aluminium' carbon fibre (actual CF, not the vinyl) so have had the rear seat squab out and it's fairly obvious that it's the size of the rear differential that prevents fitting a middle seat in the IS-F so the 250 squab would not fit.

Despite a good reason for the trim, wish Lexus could have fitted something which looked a bit better to fill the gap.

Yeah i will be having gold

It is your choice of course - but there is a fine line between uniquely individual and Chavvy, and gold wheels crosses it :<)

is fitting a panel filter to an is200 sport worth spending the 35quid on ? my standard element needs replacing and thought about getting a pipercross or k&n as an upgrade . any difference in throttle responce or pick up for the cost of 35notes ?

It will make absolutely no difference you could measure without specialist equipment except an increase in induction noise. You can prove the point simply by taking out the existing element for a while so there is no restriction at all on air-flow.

Hi everybody!

This week I've started looking for a way to increase mpg on my IS 200 and I found the HHO (oxyhydrogen) made on-site with HHO generators.

Did someone tried out this fuel additive on an IS200 or any lexus at all?

After some research over the web I fond this company(researcher) at http://smacksboosters.110mb.com in US and http://www.hho2u.com .

No fuel-additive has ever been found that gave any cost-effective benefit. Most don't give ANY benefit. Some cause harm. When you see a wonder fuel-additive advertised - think SNAKE-OIL!

Impressive mpg improvements are possible for free with a light right foot and anticipation. This makes for a really boring drive, but you will be amazed how little - if at all - it increases journey times.

the speedo is designed to read over, but the mileage should be accurate. If the speedo is now more accurate then your mileage may actually be under

So is the TomTom speed reading the most accurate indication of my actual speed? As it's measured by the GP Satellites.

The two wheel/tyre combinations have exactly the same rolling circumference. The TomTom would be more accurate except it measures assuming you travel in straight lines between its measuring points and there is no update delay. The speedo is subject to analog linearity errors whereas the odometer is a simple count of revolutions of the wheels ratioed according to the calculated rolling circumference - so is subject to error which depend on tyre pressure etc. plus the circumference increases slightly with speed and tyre temperature.

None are capable of accuracies better than about 2% - 3% with the speedo worse than that at some speeds and biassed for the errors to be positive i.e. indicate faster than true speed. There is no easy way without laboratory equipment to show which gives the most accurate result.

Don't know but could it be the A/C?

Thanks all for reply. I am not sure if this is AC or not. I put the AC knob on off but still the same sound. I was thinking to do AC service anyway because my central AC vents were blowing cold air in the winter when heater was on. Could that be related to this issue?

I checked again it defintely stop when car is running (checked at very low speed).

The air-conditioner will blow cold if turned on even in the winter. This is deliberate and can be useful in reducing/clearing the steaming up of the windows.

If the noise changes when you manually change the heater speed, it is almost certainly a dried leaf or similar rubbing against the blower impellor "blades". This can sometimes be cleared by running the blower at max speed and blowing an airline down the outside inlet vents near the wiper shafts.