Howplum

I bought my wiper blades from here: https://www.wiperblades.co.uk/ Be aware that they are different sizes, one being 22" and the other 16". They fitted and work well, all for £15 in March 2020.

Thanks Mark. I have to remove a couple of the window trims to deal with some minor rust issues at some point this summer, so I'll see what happens then.

I noticed the weatherstrips on the doors are looking past their best, especially on the front doors, but they look a lot more difficult to replace that the equivalent BMW or Mercedes versions. It seems to entail removing all of the outside trim, and most of the inside trim as well. Has anyone tried it? Amayama sell the front ones for £34 each, plus postage etc., so I imagine the price from the local dealer is quite a bit more. I daren't ask! The rears are NLA. It looks as though the rubber has gone hard, and I'm just concerned that some dirt might get trapped and scratch the glass.

Thanks for the tip!

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1347348

Move the wiper switch down one click. Turn on the ignition and when the blades are vertical turn the ignition off. Lift the arms away from the windscreen as far as the bonnet will allow. The blade assemblies should slide downwards, although might need persuading if they have been on a long time. The driver's side needs tipping towards the windscreen slightly to clear the hook on the arm.

Having fixed the aerial, I wondered how it might be possible for my phone to communicate with the stereo, thus enabling me to listen to my new favourite radio station, Boom Radio. So, as a temporary diversion from a few little jobs on my Mercedes convertible, I bought from Halfords a cassette aux adapter. I seem to remember trying one of these many years ago, and not being particularly impressed, but for less than £7.00 I thought it worth another try. In fact, so far it works very well, although I have only fitted it today, so time will tell if it's a viable long term solution. Ultimately it is also dependant of the quality of the 4G signal when on the move. For the moment I am living without the parking brake damper and must say there is very little noise when it's released. It's certainly quieter than my Mercedes. Cue gratuitous picture of my Mercedes, which is now advertised for sale:

Luckily, it was only bent and could be 'persuaded' back into shape. How did you do it? My switch is also bent, but presumably care is needed to make sure it doesn't break off completely, thus ending up with Steve's predicament.

If the garage have a trade plate then that might be a possibility, if they agree to collect it, because it should be on their insurance policy. Have you asked your current insurers to add it as a temporary additional vehicle? One of the conditions on an insurance policy is that the vehicle should be roadworthy. Is it worth asking the garage to do a pre-MoT inspection, at your house, to highlight any potential issues? Road Tax is not required provided you have an appointment for the MoT test, although I think the aforementioned trade plate would include that anyway. I wouldn't recommend selling the car without an MoT because it will not only significantly reduce the price achieved but also appeal to far fewer buyers, potentially limiting your market to someone looking for a project/bargain and who doesn't live too far away (or who has a low loader).

I have now fitted the replacement aerial mast from car-masts-uk and it worked perfectly, first time. The instructions are very clear and helpful, with some useful tips, and have a separate sheet for Toyota and Lexus explaining how, and why, the drive cable needs to be shortened. Because there needs to be at least 40cm of the drive cable exposed when the mast is extended I trimmed off approximately 27cm, which was just right. The end of the drive cable needs to be straightened so that it doesn't snag and the teeth should face the rear of the car. I filed a chamfer on the back of the drive cable to help it catch. It is very helpful to have an assistant turn the radio off which draws the drive cable in, otherwise you will have to improvise with a long pole! If you chew up the ferrule getting it off new ones are still available from Lexus. Regarding the parking brake pedal damper, I have discovered that both VAG and BMW now use this system (perhaps they copied Lexus!). The VAG one is definitely too short, which is a shame because aftermarket ones are available very cheaply. However, the BMW one is a possibility, but some careful measuring is required first, because it is not adjustable.

Hi Stuart, The new aerial has a 140cm drive cable and a mast length of 24cm, retracted. There are 6 sections. The one that came out, which was a cheap replacement I fitted last year, has a drive cable of 125cm and retracted mast length of 32cm. The instructions do say that for Toyota and Lexus the drive cable might need to be shortened, and it gives instructions, but I haven't fitted it yet. I'll let you all know how I get on.

I've been investigating the reluctant extinguishment of the parking brake warning light to try and get to the bottom of what is only a small issue, but irritating nevertheless. I've seen it mentioned on some US forums, so is not uncommon. Under the car the return spring is present, together with its "shock absorber", which looks suspiciously like a lump of rubber. Anyway, nothing is binding, but I lubricated appropriately anyway. Originally I suspected the little plunger switch on top of the parking brake assembly, but it's a real s*d to get at. Instead, I decided to check the shock absorber (gas strut) that prevents a bang when the parking brake pedal is released. One end is attached to the pedal and the other to the mounting bracket. It acts on the extension stroke, so slows down the speed that the pedal returns at. In this case it looked as though it was providing too much resistance towards the end of it's stroke, thus meaning there was a delay of a couple of seconds before the pedal was fully retracted, and thus the plunger switch activated. I disconnected the gas strut and the pedal returned immediately and the light went out, so it looks as though I need either a new or rebuild gas strut. The only downside is that the pedal now makes a noise, just like a Mercedes, which I assume is what Lexus were trying avoid! Lexus want about £75 for a new one, so I am now investigating alternatives from SGS Engineering and others.

I've ordered one from car-masts-uk, at £28, because I have used them before and never had a problem. Time will tell though.

Lexus Parts Direct are quoting £89.67 on their website for the mast. I can't find a listing for the complete assembly, although Amayama's website says it's permanently out of stock. The Lexus dealer quoted £17 for the parking brake return spring, and 3 weeks delivery!

In case anyone else has the same issue, this is the one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Camry-Carina-Lexus-GS-LS-RX-SC-Electric-Aerial-Power-Antenna-Mast-/174698955581?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

That's certainly an option @Malc. In the meantime I found the company I was thinking of, car-masts-uk, who advertise on eBay, so I have sent them a question.

I've just found this website: https://www.allcarpartsfast.co.uk/lexus/lexus-8633750140-86337-50141/ Apparently a genuine part at half price at £61.50.

Now you mention it, the Mercedes aerial was Hirschmann, but the Lexus one is Denso. The part numbers on the assembly are Toyota 86309-50051 and 100631-4160.

Taking a break from crawling under the car I thought I would investigate the aerial, which is stuck in the halfway position. The motor works, but on dismantling I found the toothed cable had parted company with the telescopic rod. I replaced the rod only a year ago, albeit with a cheap £15 item from eBay, so lesson learned. Lexus want £126 for the same thing, which is a bit rich for me. I seem to remember I bought a replacement mast for an old Mercedes from a specialist supplier, which certainly lasted more than 12 months, but for the life of me can't find out who. Does any one have any ideas? Was the Denso aerial assembly fitted to other models in Japan perhaps? The part number for the mast is 86337-50141. Megazip have them listed for $48, but what with shipping and other charges it won't be much cheaper than the UK price, I suspect.

Recently the foot pedal for the parking brake has not been returning fully, the result being that the warning light stays on. However, if I hook my foot under the pedal and lift it slightly the light goes out. According to the diagram below there should be a "46305 - Spring, return parking brake w/damper" somewhere around the equaliser assembly, although I can't remember seeing one when I was under the car the other day. Perhaps it has gone rusty and fallen off. The other possibility is "46220 - absorber assy, parking brake pedal return" might be faulty, interfering with return of the pedal in some way. Does anyone have experience of this issue please? http://www.japan-parts.eu/EU/3/460046B.png

I'm sure I remember some cars having grease nipples on the handbrake cables.

I began working on cars when they all had drum brakes, so I had some idea of what to expect.

This week I have been overhauling the parking brake system because I felt it's effectiveness was a bit marginal, even though the MoT tester passed it last year. In common with a lot of drivers of automatic cars the original owner never used it, so it was no surprise to find that the left side cable was seized. I had already acquired the replacement cables, along with new shoes and a fitting kit, so for those of you who might be interested, this is how I did it. I won't pretend it's quick, or easy, but it is doable. The most fiddly part is relocating the hold down springs for the shoes, but by trial and error I figured out the easiest way to do that. The hold down springs can only be accessed through a hole in the hub, so the car needs to be in neutral. I discovered the hard way that it best to do this BEFORE removing the brake caliper, because the brake pedal has to be depressed to change gear. With the brake calipers out of way and the discs removed I thought I should address the rusty dust shields, so I cleaned them, treated the rust and gave them three coats of Rustins Metal Paint, which I now prefer to Hammerite. Once I have done the other side that should stop them getting any worse. https://www.toolstation.com/rustins-quick-dry-metal-paint-smooth-satin-500ml/p39925#reviewTab Not having the special tool the hold down springs were released using a selection of pliers, following which the springs at the top could be disconnected and both shoes removed as far as possible. However, the rear shoe is connected to the cable, and because on the left side it was seized I had to cut the cable nipple off in situ, enabling the shoes to be removed completely. The right side was easier to disconnect, not being seized. These are the various components: The two 6mm bolts holding the cable to the dust shield both sheared, but for the new cables I used stainless steel ones. Each cable is held by three clips, two of which were very rusty, although the bolts came undone with penetrating fluid and patience. I "cooked" everything in a rust removing solution, treated any remaining rust and then sprayed them with a coating similar to Waxoyl. The cables need to be disconnected from the U shaped compensator above the propshaft, and this will be easier with the triangular plate removed from the rear Y joint on the exhaust. No doubt the bolts will be rusty though, mine were. The next job was to separate the actuating lever from the back of the rear shoe, which is held on by a C clip, Strangely this clip is not sprung, so is removed by levering apart the ears, taking care not to lose the shim. The cables are handed, and colour coded, because they have different fittings on the end, which will be obvious once under the car. Reassembly involves installing the cable first, which should then be attached to the actuating arm before anything else. Note that the pins for the hold down springs are different. The cranked one goes to the rear because it needs to clear the actuating arm attached to the cable. Insertion of the hold down springs caused me the most grief, due to limited access, and it took me well over 2 hours, a selection of pliers and dollops of grease to get everything in place on one side. I tried tying down the springs with cable ties, but that didn't help much, because it was difficult to grip, push and turn through the aperture in the hub, whilst making sure all three components didn't fall out. I know there is a special tool for locking the top cap onto the pin, but it doesn't look as though it grips, so wouldn't be much use where there is limited access. My final idea was to drill two 2mm holes in the top cap and use a pair of suitable circlip pliers to feed the top cap and spring through the hub aperture. The lower washer was fixed to the shoe with a small amount of grease and the spring was also located within the top cap with some grease. Because I could now grip, push and turn the top cap, the job was easy. In fact it was probably quicker than typing this paragraph! You will have to keep the pin in place with your finger, because it's not fixed in any way. The lump of wood is to hold the shoes against the dust shield, otherwise you will be fighting that as well. This is an extract from the repair manual explaining how to adjust the system. PARKING/EMERGENCY BRAKE 1. With a force of 66 lbs. (30 kg), push down on parking brake foot pedal while counting clicks. If 5-7 clicks are not counted, parking brake requires adjustment. 2. Fully release parking brake. Raise and support vehicle. Remove rear wheels. Remove adjuster hole plug from rear hub. Install wheel lug nuts to hold rotor in place. Turn adjuster (expanding parking brake shoes) until rotor binds. Turn adjuster back approximately 8 notches (until disc turns freely). 3. Install adjuster hole plug. Install rear wheels, tighten lug nuts to 76 ft. lbs. (103 N.m). Locate parking brake cable adjuster under vehicle. Loosen adjuster lock nut and adjuster until parking brake pedal travel is 5-7 clicks. Brake Pedal Height 5.27-5.66 (133.8-143.8) Brake Pedal Free Play .04-.24 (1-6) Brake Pedal Reserve .2.76 (70) NOTE: If clearance between brakelight switch threaded shaft and brake pedal stopper is correct, brake pedal free play should be correct. If brake pedal free play is still not correct, there is another problem in the brake system. NOTE: If adjustment cannot be made within range of adjuster, remove drive shaft and make adjustment at cable pull rod. See AXLE SHAFTS - RWD article in DRIVE AXLES. The parking brake now works as intended and the car passed its MoT test today with flying colours. Now then, what's next on my list?

Now unavailable from both Euro Car Parts and Car Parts 4 Less!

I've always had good success with carandclassic.co.uk. It's free and you tend to get serious enquiries.