DM90

Hi All, Thanks again for the helpful replies always appreciated. Update: The cheapest I have found is a local garage charging £1,400 (Including VAT), to do both shock absorbers, both ball joints and the exhaust that price is for parts and labour. So I will probably book this in a couple of weeks when I am on annual leave. One thing that confused me is this garage quoted me for replacing the ball joints when I read out my MOT advisories to them, another garage that I emailed a copy of my MOT advisories to quoted me for: NSF inner tie rod Track rod end Steering rack gaiters One is quoting for tie rods and the other is quoting for ball joints, are they all part of the same thing or is one garage quoting me for the wrong part?

Hi All Appreciate the responses, thank you. I have taken on board what has been mentioned in this thread and have looked for a pair of shock absorbers and a pair of ball joints. Given the advisories I pasted in my above opening thread, can somebody confirm if the following parts would resolve the ball joint issue and the shock absorber issue: Related advisories: Nearside Front Inner Tie bar/rod has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3) Parts I have found: Shock absorbers - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-Lexus-IS200D-IS220D-IS250-Rear-shock-absorbers-shockers-Genuine-KYB-X2-/262954074621?fits=Car+Make%3ALexus&hash=item3d3948c1fd:g:FGkAAOSwdjNZDFB~ Ball joint - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LEXUS-IS220D-IS250-FRONT-LOWER-BALL-JOINT-SET-PAIR-X2-LH-RH-OS-NS-SIDE-NEW-05-11-/371944868412?fits=Car+Make%3ALexus&hash=item5699a44a3c:g:CIsAAOxy3NBSckJs I presume the "tie bar/rod" that the advisory refers to is part of the ball joint and not a separate connecting part? Although the shock absorbers are more expensive than Lexus have quoted me to replace I presume Lexus quote is to only replace the single shock absorber and not both. If my air con is working fine am I running a risk by not replacing the condenser immediately? Should I be looking to get that replaced at the same time as my shock absorbers and ball joints? I'm currently looking to see if there is a local mobile car air con specialist. I apologise for these basic questions but I just have no idea about the mechanical side of cars and have always just let the dealer/garage just take care of it all but at almost £3,000 I am trying to see if I can do a cheaper alternative. Grateful for all advice. Thanks

Hi, I just had my Lexus is250 2007 UK model serviced and MOT at my local Lexus dealer. I bought the car last August, a month after it was serviced and MOT by another Lexus dealer, and no advisories on that MOT or the one before. I have done just under 5,000 miles in the car over the past year since I had it and the following has been flagged up on the MOT and Service. MOT: Advisory notice item(s) Nearside Front Inner Tie bar/rod has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2) Central Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases exhaust box corroded around weld (7.1.2) Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3) Servicing: Condenser Leaks - £603.26 Central Box very slightly leaking - £1,561.45 OSR Shock Absorber slightly leaking - £394.20 I called to enquire why there was no quote for the ball joint and was told it was not seen on the service and was only spotted on the MOT because they connect it to a machine that shakes it but that they can organise for me to have a quote emailed to replace the ball joint. I asked how the car had obtained around £3,000 (by the time the ball joint is added) worth of repairs in a year doing less than 5,000miles with nothing showing up on the previous two MOTs and was told it depends on the person servicing and MOT testing the car and if they notice the problem and their opinion of the problem. I asked how badly the work needs to be done and was told the general advice they provide for advisories is to check again in 6months to see if work needs to be completed. I don't know anything mechanical about cars but I am thinking I should get the shock absorber and the ball joint done as soon as possible. The air con works perfectly fine and I have no issues with it, I was also not aware of any issues with the exhaust, to be honest I wasn't aware of any issues at all with the car so I am quite surprised by these reports but as I said I don't know anything mechanical about cars. Questions: 1) I just wondered what other people would do in this position, am I right to just mainly concentrate on the shock absorber and ball joint for now? 2) To keep the cost down I am thinking of buying the ball joint and shock absorber online then taking to a local mechanic and asking them to fit them. As I am not sure what the correct parts are I wondered if somebody had an online website link to reasonably priced brand new shock absorber and brand new ball joint that I require? I asked my local lexus dealer for their labour rates and was told £156 + VAT per hour. 3) If I need to replace my exhaust or condenser I am thinking of doing the same thing as for the shock absorber and ball joint and just wondered if anybody knows the best place to purchase reasonably prices exhaust and condenser? 4) Any ideas how much labour charge I would be looking at for a standard garage to do the above work? I'm grateful for any advice provided. Just incase there are any local mechanics with their own garage on this forum that can provide me with a quote I am based in South London.

Hi Dave, Thanks again for the helpful reply. As an update, took the car to Southend yesterday (80miles roundtrip), not a single issue even after the Mrs stalled it, it started straight away. Will keep an eye, if any further issues will take it to be checked out otherwise it seems everything is okay. Thanks for your time and help Dave.

Hi Dave, Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately my mate is no longer actually working as a mechanic (after many years in the trade) and now just works on his own cars as a hobby so he therefore doesn't have any code reading equipment anymore, so looks like I will need to arrange a visit to a garage and pay them run a diagnostic check on the car then. A couple of questions on that: 1) If the warning light has not returned will a diagnostic machine still pick up an error? 2) Should I do this as a matter of urgency or just wait and see if the light every comes back? Then if it ever comes back then take it for a check. The light has never been on whilst the engine has run, it only came on when I couldn't start and the second it started the light went off as normal.

I want to start by saying that I don't know much about cars so apologies if this is a silly question. I will try to give as much information as possible in case it helps answer the question but most of it will probably be unnecessary. I have a Lexus is250, 2007 UK Model. I have had the car since last August and never had a single issue with it, it's been perfect. I drive about 100miles a week, normal street driving in London, no motorway driving. Yesterday I was driving around in my car and as always no problems. Last night whilst driving home I was stuck at traffic lights on a hill and I think I stalled as I pulled away, the engine cut out and after several attempts trying to start the car it wouldn't start back up. I had the clutch all the way down till the green light came on the start/stop button however everytime I tried to start the car the check engine light came on and the battery light but the engine would not start up. After about 10 - 15minutes the car started up properly, no warnings lights stayed on and the car drove home without a single glitch. I popped the car around to my mate at the end of the road who is a mechanic and an auto-electrician, he had a quick look under the bonnet (it was like 11PM and he was really busy), and he couldn't see an issue. I turned the car off and it started first time every time, tried this about 7 or 8 times and everytime it started without an issue and no warning lights. My mate said it could be that the car was doing a self check after it cut out and that is why it wouldn't start up straight away. At the time of the car not starting the engine temperature was about half and there was 3 quarters of a tank of petrol (I very very rarely let it go below half a tank), I last topped up petrol Monday. Coincidentally the car had hit 66,666 miles when this happened. The car has full Lexus service history and is due to be serviced and MOT by Lexus is July. My partner took my car for a quick drive this morning and she said she didn't have any issues and no warning lights, the car drove perfectly (neither of us know much about cars but did not feel any obvious operating issues). Is this something I should be worried about? Thanks in advance for any advice/help. Apologies for such a long post just wanted to provide as much information as possible.