LenT

A very interesting account, Brent, and a good demonstration of how Run Flats and the TPMS combined to identify the slow leak and keep you mobile until it could be repaired. As you say, these are trade-offs against the reportedly noisier and firmer ride of RFs. It maybe that you were also fortunate that it was a rear tyre so the handling and steering were less affected than might have otherwise been the case. Without the TPMS - and with the firmer sidewalls of the RFs - the loss of pressure might not have been so visibly obvious that it would alert you to the slow leak in the first place. Occasionally I see accounts from Posters who find the warnings from the TPMS irritating and difficult to resolve and ask about disabling it. I think your experience is a very good example of how that’s not such a good idea!

My Lexus often has the same problem - and it dates from 2015! So that’s a bit disappointing to hear. I solved it by using my Garmin satnav instead. Assuming that there’s no clue in the satnav Manual for the car - which can be a challenging read - I’d be inclined to go back to the Dealer and request an in-depth walkthrough of the satnav system with one of the Sales Team. Ensuring that all the car’s systems work as specified - and that they have been fully explained to you - is one of their responsibilities.

That’s my general policy anyway. But then the Lexus dealer from which I bought it is near enough to actually collect the car if I wish - and provides an excellent service. When buying new tyres, I use the same large, local retailer and they certainly locate the trolley jacks with precision. Whether they use locating blocks, I haven’t noticed - but will look out for them next time. I can see that a shaped block that fits over the jacking seam would be a sensible way to spread the load and prevent distortion of the jacking point. The Manual states that the supplied scissor jack should NOT have anything placed on top of it - or, perhaps more surprisingly - underneath. So clearly Lexus believes that the shaped top of the scissor jack doesn’t need any additional blocks. As a final thought, I would never put any part of myself under a car unless it was also supported on axle stands. As I mentioned in another post, according to the Health & Safety Executive, in the last five years 12 mechanics have died under vehicles that dropped down on to them. And over 2,300 suffered non-fatal injuries.

When my Father contracted what proved to be an ultimately fatal Pleurisy, he was prescribed (as I recall) a weekly case of Mackeson milk stout. (I believe it was also regarded as beneficial for women with an iron deficiency.) I don’t think the claimed health benefits really stood up to investigation, but in the days when medical alternatives were of limited efficacy, it gave some psychological relief. And actually, like real Guinness, it was a rather pleasant drink. 😊

The Manual is rather ambiguous in this respect. It lists the same bulb type for both main and dip - but didn’t make it clear (to me anyway) that it’s actually the one bulb serving both functions via a mechanical shutter. I suppose this was on account of it also being listed as a Dealer only operation. Not knowing that only one bulb each side was required. I found a video with a lad replacing two bulbs - main and dip - on a similar Lexus IS250. It was very entertaining! It was clearly done over several days, in at least two different locations and involved several changes of T-shirts! To do the right lamp apparently involved dismantling most of the front end, in the course of which he stripped some of the fixings, which he airily dismissed! 😀 It was at this point that I thought I would let the Dealer do it after all. Had I known it was a one bulb, mechanical shutter system, I might have carried on looking for a relevant video.

Well that’s a relief…to us both! Did you get it from Autobulbs Direct? I’ve always found them very helpful. (Other retailers are available!) You might be interested to know that I also upgraded my main headlight bulb with one of these Xenon bulbs - it served as both main and dip in my Lexus. It was a D4S fitting in my case. The resulting improvement was even more dramatic than the reversing lamp. I got my Lexus Dealer to fit it, which only took minutes, because the Manual refused to reveal how to do it, claiming it was a dealer-only operation. So I included it with a Service visit. Interestingly, although the main beam improved it was the better controlled, brighter illumination of the dipped beam that I found most useful down our narrow country lanes as the verges so we’re so much better defined. https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/d4s-osram-night-breaker-laser-xenarc-220-bulbs-next-generation-pair.html

It says that in my Manual too! Some models did have some LED bulbs, the replacement of which you were supposed to leave to ‘qualified technicians’. Mine were all halogen, however. I hope so too, Phil! 🤔 I take it that your lamp is also located in the boot lid, and the Manual does illustrate bulb removal - after a fashion. It’s a bit fiddly and I found it easiest to remove almost all the lining clips to get at the bulb fitting. Good luck! 😊

No Matt, it’s not something I would do - although I believe that it has been done! I actually think that, unlike the single reversing lamp, the paired brake lights and the single fog light are actually up to the task. Unlike the reversing light, following drivers are more likely to be exposed to the dazzling effects of these brighter bulbs if used in brake and fog lights - which will always be irritating and occasionally dangerous.

It might interest you to know that this bulb is also available in red! So provided it has the same wedge-base fitting, it can replace brake and fog bulbs. However, there is a BUT. These LED bulbs do not currently have ECE Approval and should therefore only be used off-road. I discussed this with my bulb Supplier and their explanation was that this was an example of legislation not keeping up with technology. When the Standards Committee met to draw up the legislation, no-one envisaged the development of an LED bulb in that fitting. My possible objection to using them in brake and fog lamps is that they might simply be TOO bright and potentially dazzling - especially in poor weather conditions. This is all too apparent when autos are stopped at traffic lights and held by the foot brake. They’re not a problem for the MoT as the Tester is only required to confirm that a lamp has a working bulb of the correct colour at the time of the Test.

It was the difficulty in reversing down my OWN drive that finally persuaded me to do something about it. Now I feel I can rely on the view in the reversing camera. Mind you, I still think a ‘Quality Car’ such as the Lexus should have two reversing lamps! You can’t even retrofit them. 🙁

It is indeed significantly brighter Phil I thought the original bulb was as illuminating as the fabled Toc H lamp - if you’re old enough to remember them? It was a poor effort even in comparison with my previous Honda Accord and required me to put the indicator on as well in order to have some clue as to what was lurking behind the car. Unfortunately, having just the one reversing light - and it being located on the nearside - is always going to be a disadvantage. If your bulb is the same fitting, then I think you’ll find the modest outlay very worthwhile.

It’ll be a digital version of the Owner’s Manual. There seems to be a few available on eBay for £10 each! Unfortunately, I don’t think the download facility in the My Lexus section of the Lexus website offers Manuals this old.

I replaced my reversing light bulb with this LED upgrade. Your newer IS may already have an LED bulb - which your Manual should confirm if that’s the case - but if not then I would certainly recommend it. This bulb has a wedge base and is a simple push fit into the bulb holder. https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/955-w16w-white-philips-ultinon-pro6000-led-bulbs-single.html

When I had a TPMS valve snapped off by a well-meaning passerby, I fitted the SpaceSaver on and drove round to a nearby large tyre retailer. They were indeed able to fit and register an OEM replacement for £65. So that would certainly be my first port of call!

Probably not enough contenders.

‘Which’ has just published its 2023 car owner reliability and satisfaction survey. Lexus was the only make to get the full five stars across the three car age groups surveyed. And the worst make? Alfa Romeo! ‘Which’ summed it up by noting: Lexus has a reliability record to make other manufacturers green with envy. Lexus owners had very few gripes about their vehicles, and the brand was awarded a full five stars for reliability for 0-4, 5-9 and 10-15-year-old age groups. In summary, Lexus is the most reliable carmaker, and has proven this year in and year out in our annual surveys.

I believe that Lexus was so named in recognition of his place of conception. His partner, Vovan, changed his from his original name….Moskvitch. 😊.

Highly recommended! I also check the pressures with my preset inflator which automatically fires up if it senses more air is needed. It also, on rare occasions, reveals another new scuff on my Alloygators so that I can feel good about the cost of a rim repair that I’ve just avoided!

Point well made George! When I had occasion to work under a car, I had four ramps to drive up on - or lower the car down on as appropriate. The ramps themselves could then be further wound up if necessary. I never trusted any form of jack without axle stands. It’s not so surprising that DIYers have to be constantly reminded of the dangers of working under badly supported vehicles. But it appears that some of those in the Motor Trade learn the hard way too. According to the Health & Safety Executive, in the last five years 12 mechanics have died under vehicles that dropped down on to them. And over 2,300 suffered non-fatal injuries. It’s possibly another instance in which familiarity breeds contempt!

I think you were typing this at the same time as I was my own post. So I just wanted to acknowledge that it seems to be a much more measured response than previous posts to which I was responding. I may have misunderstood, but surely here you make the point that this is an aberration in your previous and extensive experience of Lexus cars and service. I would be curious to know if there is any make of car for which one cannot find a disgruntled owner! Far be it for me to intrude, but I really would have thought that considering the substantial investment you have already made, and your previous satisfied relationship with Lexus, that there are still plenty of routes to resolving this matter that you can explore.

Why? Now I may be mistaken Steve, but as I understand it you purchased the car on September 1st. I’m not really clear as to whether you bought it new or as a used vehicle. If the latter, did you inspect it at the Dealership? Have you had it independently inspected? In fact I don’t think you’ve even confirmed that it was from a Lexus Dealer. And if so, why not name them? As has been said by a another Poster, they don’t know of one in Kent who would give such bad service. Of course you’ve only just come back after your OP of October 19, not that you have any obligation to do so! But you don’t seem to have taken up any of the suggestions made by earlier Posters. Why would you sell it and take the hit after only three months when you have several legal avenues by which you can pursue compensation - or a new vehicle, as you can reject it as Not Fit for Purpose! Whether you choose to buy another Lexus after this is yours to make. But this website wouldn’t even exist if your dismissal of the Lexus brand, its dealers and its cars was the general experience. I’m sure we all appreciate that buying a new car which then appears to be faulty - faults that the Seller cannot identify ( and incidentally, ‘known faults with a Lexus’ is a nonsensical excuse) - is infuriating and should not be tolerated! But just selling it and taking the hit - and denigrating the entire Lexus product to so - is surely not the best way forward? It has also occurred to me to point out that Toyota/Lexus are to be found regularly at the top of - or thereabouts- of most Automotive Satisfaction Surveys. Now that’s a majority view by Owners. It doesn’t happen by chance.

And ‘Big’ ?

Well call me naive, but it never occurred to me that my initial chit-chat with the Sales folk at Lexus MK might affect my future standards of service. In fact it’s now so long ago that I can’t really remember how my time as a Hitman for the Mafia even came up….

Well, I have a different model Lexus, but I only found mine by getting on my back and looking at the area just under the dash and near the steering column with a torch! I suspect it’s an example of Japanese sense of humour! 😊

Unfortunately Nigel, the Manual for my IS250 only covers 16”, 17” and 18” wheels. I have 18 “ wheels. But if it’s any help, the recommended pressure from cold is a constant 36psi irrespective of tyre size. In other words, there seems no change in recommended pressures with wheel size.