LenT

Good point. Did it fall off the car? Or did the car park over it? And life used to be so simple….🙁

Oh, yes. Of course there is! 😊 And which size of staple might that be? Since posting this, I see that Stuart has provided a CD for scale. But the joke was too good to miss!

Unless anyone recognises it straightaway, some words of description might be helpful. For example, how long is it? Is it a hollow rubber tube with a short length of solid, twisted metal projecting from it? Although it might be hard to think what the point of that might be? Or is it length of flexible metal covered with a protective rubber sleeve? Or is it a length of something like a fibre optic cable? Or something else?

As it happens, the recommended tyre pressures by both car and tyre makers are based on those recorded on a cold tyre. The use of a slightly raised pressure would be indicated in the event of unusually heavy loads. This is an extract from a Continental Tyres web page on the subject. I have always considered that the ‘recommended’ pressure is the target figure when cold, on the basis that it is the optimum starting point as neither tyre nor car maker can control the varying weather conditions or driving styles that the tyre may face - even in the course of the same journey. Continental Tyres: Cold tyres. You’ll get a more accurate reading if you check the pressure when the tyres are cold, before the outside temperature rises and the tyres are exposed to direct sunlight. If the outside temperature increases by 10 degrees Celsius, the tyre pressure will increase by 1.6 PSI. In winter, in some climates, tyres could experience a drop of up to 5 PSI.

Well, the Museum appears to be open again. And who knows what automotive delights have been added in the intervening years? 🤔 https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/tag/oct

The CTEK system of a plug-in charging lead that’s permanently connected to the battery makes this a very simple operation. An added benefit is that leads are available that have three traffic light leds to indicate battery condition at a glance. I fitted them to both our cars and as an early warning that an overnight trickle charge might be advisable, they work pretty well. https://www.ctek.com/uk/battery-chargers-12v-24v/accessories/car-accessories

I have a neighbour who only occasionally runs his E-Type Jaguar, so the battery is constantly running flat. He used to borrow my mains powered booster, but I retired that some time ago. Recently he popped round to borrow it again, but he was a bit surprised when instead I produced a small box from my car boot. As we walked to his garage, he said that he thought he might borrow the big booster but I suggested we could try this first. As I connected the considerably smaller NOCO to his battery, he was clearly unimpressed and said “It’s a big engine, you know!” So his look of astonishment when the Jag’s engine turned over once before roaring into life, was something to behold. Astonishingly, three weeks later he turned up again accompanied by a friend. Apparently he was going to give him a run in the Jag but the battery was flat again - and could he borrow the NOCO! This time he couldn’t stop telling his friend about this amazing device I had. Fortunately, although I hadn’t recharged it, the NOCO performed its magic again. This time my neighbour took a photo of it on the basis that he would get his own! Whether he has I shall no doubt discover as winter approaches. 😊

May I ask…did you also remove the tyre, fit the valve and then replace the tyre? Because I would have thought that this requires equipment the usual DIYer doesn’t have. The days when all I needed were a couple of tyre levers, a rubber faced mallet, a foot pump and washing up liquid are long gone! Mind you, buying from Lexus is a sound move if you can find a Dealer or tyre retailer to fit it for you. But Damian didn’t want to do that!

In my case, it was an emergency replacement but from an established specialist retailer that I had used before. It was a branded product but not one I was familiar with as I hadn’t needed to replace such a valve before. In Damian’s case he has the opportunity to call the retailer first and check the availability of a suitable valve and then do some research on it. In common with a lot of such products, it could be to OEM spec anyway.

When I had to replace a snapped valve immediately, I was able to get to a large, local tyre retailer who had a suitable replacement in stock. They charged me £65 to remove the tyre, replace the valve and tyre and then register the new valve to the system.

You’re right to be concerned and cautious, Stephen. Good friends of ours suffered a front tyre blowout with their BMW on a motorway, and were very lucky to survive the ensuing crash!

Possibly a badly scratched rear bumper section? Mind you, it would be interesting to know if the driver faced any prosecution or might instead claim that being so traumatised by the threat to life that, in trying to escape, inadvertently selected reverse. This recent news item demonstrates the sometimes unappreciated and fatal risks that thieves face while just trying to earn a dishonest living. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-15/catalytic-converter-theft-death-los-angeles-county

At the risk of sounding pedantic, Stephen, I would have thought that arch contact on the tyre would have been not only more obvious, but rather more serious. I once had a large tyre retailer recommend a set of new Avon tyres for my Lotus Elan, despite them being slightly over wide. He claimed he had already fitted such tyres without any problems. The results were indeed amazing, improving the already impressive handling to a significant degree. Some weeks later I happened to be inspecting the front of the car and - to my disbelief - noticed a deep groove had been cut in to the inside sidewall of both front tyres. When the suspension was unloaded there was plenty of clearance between the tyre and the top of the suspension leg. Once back on the ground a cover topping the suspension leg was rubbing the inside tyre wall. I guess I was within days of having both front tyres blow out!

I think our village has only recently stopped paying Danegeld!

Is this because it’s an auto and he needs to take his test on a manual?

I can’t see a downside for you either, Herbs! I wish you both every happiness in your new Home for many years to come.

1865? Introduction of Red Flag act.

Sign spotted in Setem …Spetmen…Stempeb… August 2014…

I think you’re right! I had it applied to a new car ‘FOC’ as a special treat by the Dealer. I certainly wouldn’t have paid extra for it. These days there are much better, proven systems for superior paint protection.

Not an unreasonable expectation, Steve. Probably too late now, but I do believe some car park operators will allow the recognised owner of a stolen vehicle access to the video if it will help to track the thieves. After all, it’s in their interests to catch car thieves as it’s not good for business! Crude but effective Steve. The only problem with it, that I can see, is that it’s only when the thief has already damaged the car that they encounter the plate. Same with something like a Ghost Immobiliser - or a simple Kill Switch that isolates the fuel pump. It’s the principle of a layered defence. The thief overcomes the obvious devices but is then faced with wondering why the engine turns over but won’t start. Short of calling out the AA, or putting the car on a trailer, it becomes easier to look for another target. And of course being presented with all these barriers to overcome increases the possibility of a Tracker! And if you can provide evidence that you’ve taken all these precautions, it seems reasonable that you should see a reduction in your premium as you’re reducing the risk of theft. Well, you can but ask!

I would emphasise again that the car does have a very good quality baked on ceramic finish. One of the benefits is that it makes the removal of bird droppings very much easier and the paint surface much harder to stain or scratch. Something to consider if you live under highly incontinent birds!

Unless it’s a fresh deposit - for which I find that kitchen roll and plenty of water is perfectly adequate - I using a method recommended by a professional Detailer. I have a couple of maintenance sprays for my ceramic finish. I spray the avian gift and allow it to soften until it easily wipes off. The spray then also reinforces the ceramic coating.

I may have misread this, but you appear to say that you replaced the two front Nokias with new Michelin CCs. This may have contributed to the aquaplaning you experience. Firstly, it’s not a good idea to mix tyres with different tread and compounds because they will react differently under challenging conditions. It’s also the recommendation that the newer tyres always go on to the rear axles, irrespective of which axle is the driven one. If you still have this arrangement, you may find it beneficial to swap the wheels - bearing in mind that the Michelins are directional and the correct direction of rotation is indicated by an arrow on the outer wall.

Possibly you are…but it’s still a significant sum of money that you’re risking on what I would call a ‘pig in a poke’! At this end of the market, buying a car you cannot test drive - especially from a private seller - may well be a risk too far! Perhaps a test drive and/or an inspection should be your minimum requirement? So your search should be confined to respected local Dealers, where you’ll have a degree of legal protection; local private sellers you can check on; or better sources such as Autotrader (not necessarily Auto Car, as I absentmindedly typed in an earlier post!) It may also be the case that your model spec is too restrictive. These cars were not big sellers in the first place, so you may be waiting quite some time for the ‘right one’ to come on the market. There’s always the risk that you’ll compromise on your ideal purchase - only to have it turn up once you’ve bought what was available!. But thinking like that could mean you’re never going to make a decision! Once I buy something that suits, I stop looking!

I don’t know enough about this model to comment, but I’m sure someone will come along who does! But I would say that most sellers expect a buyer to negotiate down, so that may help you - as may all the comments already made. As for the ML audio, as far as I’m aware it was only available on the top spec models. Otherwise you got the Pioneer system - which was perfectly acceptable for most people. Good luck in your search….