Barry14UK

Tyres should be rotated to equalise wear and then all replaced as a set. You will get some differences depending who is doing the testing. Also, some tyres work better on some cars than others. Drivers can also have individual preferences but don't get the opportunity to check a lot of makes/models so a pretty good indication is what members largely favour. It would be nice if we could have a poll to establish this. I much prefer the Cross Climates to the Dunlops my car came with. I asked Lexus Cheltenham what drivers were fitting most and they told me Cross Climates.

I bought the Premier version of the 3rd Generation RX450h and wish I had taken out the extended warranty as the two front air struts failed at circa 40K miles and cost just over £2000 to have replaced. I have now taken out an extended warranty lest the rears also need replacing. I seem to have been unlucky as some owners have done much greater mileages before replacement is needed. If possible, I would drive cars with an another without air suspension so you can decide whether you think the difference in ride is worth the extra risk/cost of air suspension replacements at some stage. Buying a car from a Lexus dealer will cost you more than from a general car dealer but the former will provide a better warranty. You need to be particularly careful if buying privately or from a general dealer, although there are sometimes bargains to be had. This was an expensive car new and some of the parts and cost of fitting can be very high.

When you get the Viva sorted you might consider showing it at the Bromley Pageant of Motoring, a show I attended for many a year when I lived quite near the Surrey/Kent border. If you don't know it, it largely comprises classic car, commercial and military vehicles plus a fair amount of old/new spares. This walkabout gives some idea but was taken late in the day after a lot of exhibitors had gone. So interesting to see so many old cars with some marques sadly no more. Hopefully show will take place in 2022 as doubt it will go ahead this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc2Vpi-N8sc (Apologies to OP for nostalgic digression).

All cars I have had (and that's quite a number), have had actual or potential problems. Blocked sun roof drains is pretty common one to all makes/models with them. This is due to the misconception that the exterior seal is going to keep water out. It doesn't, and over time a build up of dirty water in the channels can lead to blocked drains and water in the car. Also, non operation of the sun/moon roof can lead to the operating mechanism seizing. This was the case on an E39 530i Sports I have just broken for spares. Another water ingress problem on the E39, (I don't know if this might apply to Lexus) is the coming away from behind the door cards of the vapour membrane which requires a new gasket or heat sealing back the original at around 10 years. I haven't heard of panel seams coming apart as on some earlier RX models. The sills on the E39 I broke for parts were OK but the rear wheel arch valences were badly rusted as was the area below the external boot handle, a typical rust point for this model and made worse by a previous owner living close to the coast. There was some rust under the car but the 20 year old exhaust looks fine and was thick where I cut it. My current E39 530 SE has only a very small area of rust on the front corner edge of the bonnet. This will be dealt with this summer along with a couple of other jobs. The E39 530 is marginally faster to 62mph than the RX450h on figures given and experience, so enough acceleration for me. BMW's have a reputation for needing replacement parts, particularly suspension parts and parts relating to the cooling system. Indeed I replaced the former at reasonable cost through need, and proactively the water pump when changing the serpentine belt and replacing the radiator and expansion tank. It now also needs replacement adjusters in the Hella headlights, a fiddly job All in all, the cost of repairs for 14 years motoring in the E39 has cost me less than the 2 air struts that my RX450h needed at circa 40K miles in the 2 years I have owned it. The only reason I bought the RX was because it is more comfortable for my back on long journeys I occasionally make and more easily for me to get into and out of. (I have excluded the cost of upgrading the lighting on the BMW as this was through choice and not because it was necessary.) Incidentally, the E39, E36, E90 and Z3 Roadster were largely designed for BMW by Japanese designer Jogi Nagashima.

Wish to thank Herbs and Rob for replies. I am very conscious of how electronics have advanced and continue to do so, whereas when it comes to vehicles, I am just an old amateur spanner man better equipped to deal with more simple cars of a few decades ago. Those were the days when you only needed basic knowledge and simple tools some of which you designed and fabricated yourself. They did the job if crude like my welding. I therefore have to look to you members with much better electrical knowledge for information on this aspect nowadays and of course the internet. For my part, I am happy to contribute in the more limited way I can now. If the weather had been better it would have made outside projects more productive during restrictions. The guys doing my groundwork are working in a quagmire. ....unsurprisingly they have just decided to stop today.

Appreciate your thoughts and standing Rob. I can't easily find the pics and details of the exploded battery but I did read a lot of posts going back a long way on this and other forums as well as communicating with battery manufacturers and suppliers when looking for an alternative battery. Here is the Scotty Kilmer video I mentioned although there will be nothing new in it for you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXInSFfvTmw I would welcome your view on the following though as it is battery and charging related. I generally charge my battery with a CETEK which is not a problem when the car is on my drive. However, due to building work I have had to park it on the road temporarily and the rain has been continuous, so I have not wanted to leave the hatch open while I remove the battery for charging in the dry. I therefore used the Lexus method of initiating 'Ready' mode for an hour so the 12v battery could be charged from the traction battery. It seems counterintuitive that whilst the 12v battery is being charged up the running lights take power from it as they can't be easily turned off. This was raised on another forum and a procedure to remove a relay given but probably for somebody who permanently wanted no running lights. I wonder whether the running lights could be switched off during this charging process. Perhaps they only draw a very small current so make little difference but a neighbour rang to say I had left my lights on.

My factual viewpoint is based on what Lexus/Toyota say and is supported by battery manufacturers, suppliers and others of standing, and not anecdotal views of a few members of a forum who have not set out their detailed qualifications to contradict Lexus/Toyota and show why the manufacturers are wrong and unnecessarily adding to the cost of their cars. Suggest one at least of these members who consider Lexus/Toyota is wrong, takes this up with them specifically and reports back to us since it is these members are suggesting departing from specification, not me. I have nothing to prove, the onus is not on me. It is of no concern to me what people do to their cars (as long as it does not adversely affect the safety of other road users) but feel people suggesting to others they depart from manufacturers specifications have a responsibility if this leads to a problem. Incidentally, I did find a record with pictures on this forum going back away, of a battery that had exploded with nasty results but unfortunately did not bookmark it. However, I only got my car back recently after repair from being rear ended. Fortunately, I was in forward motion at the time. Had I not been moving it is very possible that the 12v battery which is located just inside the very rear of the car would have suffered damage and been propelled forward. I have said all I intend to on this subject on this thread. For the benefit of anybody who wishes to stay with the AGM battery that is cheaper than the Panasonic one and provides more capacity, I will report back in due course on another thread I started, as building work is currently preventing further research.

No model variants of 4th Gen of RX450h have air suspensions.

I am neither massively overthinking anything nor am I in awe of Professor John Kelly. You are too too free with hyperbole Rob. I do respect him as an official instructor though. The point is he took the same view as Toyota, the battery manufacturers, and everybody else of any standing that a replacement battery should be the same type as the original battery. Even Scotty Kilmer explained the need for this in one of his many videos. (Assume you will have found Scotty, a mechanic with over 50 years experience). Every car I have had and sold has been up to the spec it came with or is better, eg, full upgraded lighting on my E39 to retrofitted genuine BMW xenon lighting system, not just added aftermarket HIDS. I would not buy rubbish tyres either to save a few pounds as some do. So I will stay with the original AGM type battery. The Panasonic costs nothing like £300 (more hyperbole) from Lexus Parts Direct but there are other potential options which I hope to explore as my Pan battery needs smart charging every 8 or 9 days now if not used. The chances of your having an accident in which you are injured by acid may well be small and you are happy to accept the risk, but how would you feel if somebody had been injured in this way following your advice to go for the cheaper flooded lead acid battery? Insurers may also have something to say in such an event too. I don't know why the new ES300h apparently has a flooded lead acid battery within the cabin, as apart from personal injury, AGM batteries with low internal resistance were said to be more suited to regeneration from braking and stop/start. I would be interested to learn more about this if anybody cares to elaborate/research.

The official figures quoted for the 3rd RX Lexus and other cars at the time were not realistic for everyday road usage. (Suggest you look at fuel consumption for vehicles of the time on Honest John site.) A new official way of assessing fuel efficiency has since been introduced which is rather nearer reality. There are many factors that affect mpg, ambient temperature, tyre rolling resistance and pressure amount and direction of wind, how hilly journeys are, how well 'run in' or worn out engine is, free flow of traffic or holdups, how close the car is held to it's optimum efficient speed and how hard acceleration avoided. So with these possible variables fuel consumption will vary. The best I ever achieved with my 3rd Gen RX450h was 37.8 with favourable conditions. My average is about 31.5 but it is very hilly in Devon.

Of course safety and legislation plays an ever increasing part in the automotive industry. I am sure some people would not wear seat belts were it not for legislation, (a small number, at least on some occasions, don't wear them even so). There is not any legislation of which I am aware, that requires that when a battery is within the cabin it should be an AGM or Gel type if that was fitted by the manufacturer. So it is very much the choice of the owner/driver, whether s/he replaces the manufacturer's safer type battery in these circumstances with a less safe one, a decision that would doubtless be much regretted in retrospect if injury from spilled acid happened in an accident. If you check with manufacturers, the battery industry AA or RAC or anybody knowledgeable on the subject says you should replace a battery with the more advanced type as fitted by the car make/model and for additional reasons other than safety too. You can of course fit a larger capacity battery of the same type. Incidentally, I have a standard battery in my E39 BMW which has optional fold down rear seats so lacks the extra protection of a fixed rear bulkhead and if I was keeping it I would check whether a safer battery option was available. As we know, the battery compartment in the rear of some of our RX models is small and the AGM batteries have only small capacity which is inadequate in some situations. Standard lead acid are cheaper and as available in more sizes can be had with greater Ah and still be accommodated within the battery compartment. However, it may be possible to fit a larger AGM HEV battery by modifying the battery compartment and I will investigate this when circumstances permit. Over thinking this issue - I don't think so but in any event I would rather this be the case than under thinking it. Suggest you watch this video by Professor Kelly if you have not yet done so and note the salient points as similar system on RX as Prius.

I asked an award winning repair specialist what he recommended in similar situation (it wasn't for a Lexus) and was told Tiger Seal. I used the Grey and found it good. https://www.u-pol.com/uk/en-uk/product/tiger-sealtm/adhesives-sealants-plastic-repairs/adhesive-sealants/tiger-seal-polyurethane-sealant-and-adhesive#.YBBNVBanw2w

You think this might be just a wee bit OTT then Herbs? https://cleantechnica.com/2019/07/15/are-solar-vehicles-becoming-viable/

Cross Climates are indeed a very good all year tyre as tests have shown and members confirmed by experience. I read that the Goodyear Vector 4' seasons were slightly better in deep snow but not quite so good in the summer. So the 4's maybe better in Scotland where you have 2 weeks of summer and more snow lol.

Hope their boats were more watertight than some of their cars!

Lest people are unaware, you are not even supposed to drive for 24 hours after you have had a General Anaesthetic. I had this for a Transperineal Template Biopsy on two occasions. The first time the hospital booked me into a hotel for the night . The second time they kept me in a ward for the night and I had to have all the temperature and other regular checks sick people are given, although if I had lived near enough and not needed a train and car journey home, I could have just got a bus or taxi home within a few minutes after the anaesthetic had worn off.

I don't know whether this might apply to any Lexus models but on at least some BMW models there is a membrane behind the door cards. This comes unsealed in time and allows ingress of water which is absorbed in the sponge like insulation in the footwells. (I had this on 2 cars. Either a new gasket is required or the seal can sometimes be reactivated by using a heat gun). Must say that nobody has mentioned this in the time I have been on this Lexus forum but it does not meant it doesn't happen.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53854483 I assume the Police have had a success or two in catching some of these scumbags and where this has happened they should be given long sentences in a blaze of publicity, hopefully to deter others. Of course, the US Presidential Election, ramifications of Covid, Brexit and to a lesser extent Terrorism, seem to have squeezed out almost all other news about things that are happening at present.

Battery technology has advanced over the years and continues to do so. If the 12v battery in your car is an AGM version, it should be charged with a smart charger with an AGM mode option. It will need to charge at to not more than 5 amps and will reduce this as the battery approaches fully charged. If an excessive charge is made to the battery it will vent operating any regulating valve in the process. This cause a loss which is not replaced, so the battery will suffer some permanent loss in performance. The smart chargers avoid this by adapting as necessary, so well that they can be left connected without overcharging the battery. Even if your battery is not an AGM type it would be preferable to use a modern smart charger. It's a bit of a faff having to clear the boot on my car to connect the 240v supply to my smart charger so I have bought one of the plugs used to enable caravans to hook up, so all I will need to do in future is plug into an external extension as the smart charger is left connected. (Hopefully, weather permitting, I will be able to do this soon as the car has been repaired and returned to me following the rear end shunt).

The small electrical portable starters have been demonstrated to work and as a solution for a flat battery are a way of getting you out of immediate trouble. However, batteries should not be allowed to go flat as every time this is done it reduces its life. In fact some manufacturers append a label saying that if the battery drops below a certain voltage the battery losses its warranty. Zoom up on the top view of this one for the Prius as a case in point. https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/254088997428 I am sure I was not the only person who received a warning from Lexus to check the battery every two weeks on my RX450h and to ensure it was adequately charged whist not in use during pandemic. If its not connected up to the hybrid battery you need a solar panel or keep up the voltage with an appropriate smart charger. So Lexus are aware of the problem. I wonder whether when you leave the car at an airport for a few weeks you could take another suitable battery (temporarily and properly secured) and connect this in parallel to provide extra capacity.

This taking advantage of existing customers is not limited to Insurance. We have the Radio Times delivered through their Subscriptions people each month and have just received a letter saying the price will be going up to £91 for 6 months of issues. This was quite an increase, so I checked on Internet and found W H Smith cheaper. I rang Radio Times Subscriptions on this and they immediately dropped the price to £65 which I accepted. (It was a little less than W H Smith even). Seems you need to haggle these days. Now must look at that subscription to SKY.............

Kia offer a 7 year warranty, although strangely the basically similar Hyundai only offer 5. From at one time being regarded in company with the pre VW Skodas or Ladas, these cars have improved vastly generation on generation in all major respects. We read that having secured the services of some of the top names in the motor industry, their top arm 'Genesis', are about to start a major drive in the UK. It will be interesting to see what warranties they will offer on top models.

I bet some UK dealers will receive enquiries from those that see this but suspect the offer will not be extended to UK.

Firstly, as regards tyre pressure gauges. Many of those on the market require you ensure the gauge is held firmly and squarely for an accurate reading. It's probably easier to have one of the type with a connector that actually locks on the valve by using a lever. However, like somebody who criticised the present offerings of the type said, I too have a 50 year old 'Dunlop' pocket gauge with a calibrated inner cylinder that slides out and find it accurate. (It was used extensively years ago when I was competing in motor cycle trials and we let tyres down for more grip for 'mud plugging' sections and then reinflated for the ride home. It also served well on some cars and more recently on my RX450h.) With other cars with short valves or obstructing spokes, it was awkward to use, so I bought a digital one which again seems to agree with the readings on my RX. It does have the advantage of beeping 3 times when a figure has been registered, was cheap and I have had it for a least 14 years. It looks like the BYFRI one on Amazon. Before my small and old Airmate compressor eventually failed, I sometimes used it for blowing up my tyres if there was a queue for air at my usual Petrol Station. It has been easier to pay 30p occasionally than run out the very long hose off my 50L v twin compressor which is also very noisy. If you are contemplating one of the compressors from Aldi or Lidl be aware that the coupling is different to the standard UK one. I needed to modify some of the German accessories I bought to take UK couplings so I could use with my compressor. However, I also have a very small tyre compressor which can either run off 12v DC or AC mains. It is kept in the car and would be useful in the event of a slow puncture or very occasional top up at home on AC as during isolating at home https://www.amazon.co.uk/P-I-Auto-Store-Compressor-Accessories/dp/B074G1BRWH It lacks a preset and cut off so you have to keep an eye on the gauge. I then check separately with my pocket gauge. It is small, slow and quite noisy but with supplied adapter can also blow up balls etc.

I have got my car back for the second time from Snows repair centre at Southampton. They took it back because I was not happy with some things, the main one being the air suspension compressor/pump. They agreed the noise it was making was excessive and must have been damaged in the accident. They said it would add another 2K£ to the cost (which seems a bit much to me but I'm not paying), so would have to get this approved. Anyway, this and other things now done and I am looking for a legitimate reason to be able to use it in these times of Government imposed restrictions. Meanwhile, I have got myself one of those battery saving devices so I can use in conjunction with a spare standard battery I have whilst the car is not in use. This will enable me to remove the Panasonic battery and check more precisely what I can fit in its place even with some adaptation. This may take some time as the car is on my drive and it rains most days here in Devon or so it seems! However, I will revert to this battery aspect in due course.