LenT

How far had you driven with the tyres incorrectly placed? Are the tyres even on the correct rims? The wider, rear tyres are also on slightly wider rims. If you’ve had the wheels balanced then the tyre pressures should have also been checked. If you open the driver’s door there should be a tyre information panel near the door lock. You might have to consider having the tracking checked. Look for uneven tyre wear across the tread and signs of scuffing - all indications that adjustments are needed. If it’s been MOT’d recently then that should have exposed any general wear in the steering and suspension that might cause it to run down into the camber of the road.

If it’s the same as mine, you remove the mechanical key and put a flat bladed screwdriver into the hole that’s revealed. A gentle twist or prying should then open the key case. Lexus recommends that you wrap the blade in a strip of scotch tape to prevent it marking the case. Just make sure you replace the battery with the same face up!

Well I’ll be interested to know what others think, but a £7K payment for a 14 year-old car - plus you get to keep the car - sounds like a fair result. After all, under the skin it’s still the same faithful companion that you’ve enjoyed so much for the last six years! I don’t know whereabouts you are in London, but in view of the body damage you’ve described, I feel you might be better off with old fashioned panel beaters rather than having entire panels replaced - which is probably what the Insurers would have based their repair estimate on. I’m sure we’ll all be interested to know how you get on, Jules.

Just a thought, Jules… I suspect that the insured value of a car of that age is so low that any repair estimate would exceed it. That may well make it a write off - but that doesn’t mean it should be written off! By the sound of it, it’s predominantly superficial body damage - which can be repaired, just not economically by an Insurance Company. It might be worth you investigating the possibility of receiving payment for your insured loss while retaining the actual car from the Insurers. Maybe have a good body shop give you an estimate for its repair - which will almost certainly be considerably less than the total cost of a claim to the Insurers. I might add that if the Insurers write it off, it might well end up in a body shop being repaired anyway - or being broken up for spares.

This may seem sensible in that you’re not wasting your initial investment, but it does mean that your rear camera only works when the ignition is on. What makes you think that your stationary car is unlikely to be hit in the rear, when the camera’s off, as opposed to the front when the cameras on? What is more likely when you’ve parked it in a supermarket car park? Also cameras are motion-sensitive and can be activated by cars/people approaching - thus picking up anyone trying to enter the car. Paying a little extra for a dual-camera system may seem an extravagance now, but it only has to back up one insurance claim to pay for itself. And I speak from personal experience!

That’s precisely what I did on more than one occasion!

A very good point! if you have the receipt and can get it back to the original retailer, then give them the problem. They’ll check for faulty cells, poor charging rate and any unauthorised current draw. Favourites might be something like an interior light - or even a sidelight. Yes, there should be an audible warning but on an older car that might not be working. Or it might be but you can’t hear it! That kept happening to me with our other car. A combination of a very soft, high pitched ‘bong’ and my poor hearing often resulted in my leaving the lights on! Yes, that’s what my GP said….😊

I’d go further. I suggest that Lexus Dealerships don’t have tyre fitters. They have mechanics who occasionally fit tyres. Although I have been surprised to find that my local Lexus dealer has matched my regular tyre supplier in price, I would probably only use them if I was combining it with a Service at the same visit. On the whole I think someone competent fitting tyres all day for a living will generally make a better job of it. I apply the same reasoning to using an auto electrician to install accessories.

My opinion too, Ronnie. When I was buying a new set, I asked Lexus MK if they could supply them as I was due an annual service there anyway. To my surprise, they matched my regular tyre supplier. I didn’t go with it as I was also having Alloygator rim protectors fitted. It may not be the first place anyone thinks of, but you’re quite right that it’s always worth asking them to quote.

I think you’ll find that the power outlet (as it’s now known!) is only live when the engine switch is in Accessory or Ignition On mode. If you don’t have an OBD connector then you’ll probably need to use crocodile clips to connect directly to the battery.

Well my IS250 is the later model which came with the staggered 18s, low profile tyres. The option would have been the 17 inch with the same tyres fore and aft. It depends on what you’re after in driving style. The larger wheels with the low profile, more rigid tyres are supposed to provide better handling at speed; the 17 inchers should give a softer, more comfortable ride due to the greater flexibility of the sidewalls. Also it’s easier to buy four new tyres if they’re all the same! Had I bought the car from new, I would probably have opted for the 17 inch setup - prioritising ride comfort.

I also recall his mentor, Genaro Contaldo, attracting considerable opprobrium for demonstrating various different recipes for spaghetti carbonara on YouTube!

I feel the same about ouzo. I’ve enjoyed many a bottle in Greece, but have rarely drunk it in Northamptonshire. 🙁

You’re quite right Renato. I confused it with risotto for the sake of a joke! 🙁 Paella - like the best martinis - should be shaken, not stirred. So what I invariably end up occasionally making is a risotto. Primarily because I don’t have the right paella rice or - more significantly - a paella pan. The latter omission is due to MrsT’s forceful observation that at our age one thing we don’t need is a new pan in the kitchen that’ll be used once and end up in the back of a cupboard!😡

I always think that paella is just for people who like stirring things up. 😊

Quite right, Renato! Nothing wrong with our traditional chicken tikka masala…or a four seasons pizza! 😊

Completely agree! When I had my car Detailed and ceramic coated, the one thing I now regret is that I didn’t have PPF applied to the front bumper. It’s the most vulnerable area of the car to be exposed to road chips. Although the few that exist are mere pin pricks, they could have been avoided completely. In hindsight, I now consider that the saving I made has proved to be a false economy.

Unless you know what has already been done to the car, I’d be inclined to start with the finish. Find a good local Detailer and have the car professionally Detailed with a ceramic coating. That involves baking on the ceramic coating with infrared heaters - and with the best will in the world, no home applied product is going to match that. That ceramic coat is an upfront investment that should last for many years and all you need do then is: a. Avoid car washes and the guys that work in supermarket car parks. b. Invest in the products listed by Linas in his first post and follow the snow foam, pressure washer, two bucket, microfibre mitt and towel wash routine. Ideally, using the maintenance products that match the ceramic coating. Of course, if you really want the best possible exterior protection, you could consider the application of Paint Protection Film - but that’s a whole new level of investment. https://www.huntsmiths.co.uk

We’ll be finishing off the Chicken Noodle, Lemon Grass broth that I made yesterday, with its added carrots, red pepper, red chillies, ginger, star anise, celery, leeks, pak choi, spring onions, mushrooms, garlic and soy sauce….. before it combusts spontaneously.

Was that third party only Linus? Could be a Guinness Book of Records entry…. 😊

Yes, that’s cleared that up. 😀 Sounds like a great cruise! I guess you’ve left the Lexus at home… No doubt you’ll be enjoying the many delights of the Keelong Night Market - if they let you off the ship. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g13806823-d1383207-Reviews-Keelung_Miaokou_Night_Market-Ren_ai_District_Keelung.html

I would have thought so too - if selling cars was your business! But I understand why you opted for new rather than ‘Pre-Owned’. My previous car was a Honda Accord. So my sensible head said buy a low mileage one a year or two old and avoid the instant depreciation as you drive off the forecourt. But sitting in such vehicles I couldn’t help noticing the odd scratch and scuff. So I too bought new - did a deal with my Prelude - and enjoyed owning a brand new car. With the Lexus it was different. Lexus had stopped marketing the IS250 when I had to replace the Accord. But Lexus Milton Keynes had this one example barely two years old and immaculately presented. So I snapped it up! PS. It’s not even three o’clock in the morning Stephen! It’s not that I think so highly of my posts that I repeat them, but you’re replying while I’m still editing them!

Me too! More like Arthur Daley than Lexus Main Dealer… If you - or indeed anyone else - is looking for a used Lexus, then maybe search for Lexus Select vehicles from the ‘Pre-Owned’ offerings? These are supposedly subjected to a 150 point check before being presented for sale - the implication being that they are properly prepared and warranted for sale. There’s more information about these vehicles here: https://www.lexus.co.uk/pre-owned/lexus-select

Me too! More like Arthur Daley than Lexus Main Dealer… Have you searched for Lexus Select vehicles from the ‘Pre-Owned’ offerings? These are supposedly subjected to a 150 point check before being presented for sale - the implication being that they are properly prepared and warranted for sale. There’s more information about these vehicles here: https://www.lexus.co.uk/pre-owned/lexus-select

I also agree with Ken. Write a detailed letter to the Dealer Principal (unless of course it was the Dealer Principal!) After all, that attitude and the state of the car is losing the business sales - probably to another Lexus Dealer. In your mind it was also damaging the Lexus brand - which would interest Lexus UK even more.