LenT

Ultimately a targeted vehicle can always be towed away, in which case a concealed tracker system comes into its own. But car security seems to revolve around how much you are prepared to spend on it and how much inconvenience you are prepared to put up with. The best advice seems to be to invest in a ‘layered system’ of security. For example, you can fit mechanical or electronic systems that will isolate the CAN bus. So the thief has to spend time removing or locating them. The attraction of the Ghost system is that the car appears to be cooperating - until the moment that it isn’t! The thief is then presented with the dilemma of whether to persist in trying to start the car or - if recognising a Ghost system - trying to bypass it. Both involve spending more time in the car and risking detection. And finally a bright yellow steering lock covering the steering wheel, combined with turning the wheels into the kerb, can be quite an effective deterrent in the first place! And the only one that should advertise its presence.

Could be a reaction to any sedation or anaesthetic you may have had? Give it another day or so, rest and don’t exert yourself. Look out for the passing of any blood. Drink as much fluid as you can! I must say that harvesting 19 polyps sounds a reasonable haul - and better out than in! But you’ve come through it very well, Herbs, so all the best for the future. I would add that you should have been given literature covering all the pre and post op procedures. If they don’t reassure you then don’t hesitate to get back to the hospital. And don’t try to preempt the biopsy results!

I think the two previous replies are sound advice. You don’t mention mileage or general condition, but this is, after all, a 15 year old car. And you do appear to have already spent a reasonable sum on repair - including bodywork - and maintenance quite recently. You could consider if you’ve had any advisories after the MoT and check its secondhand or p/x value. And if you went down that route, what would you replace it with? As has already been mentioned, Lexus has a very good reputation for reliability. So it would seem that on balance - and considering the current value of the car - you can risk continuing your ownership and get the benefit of what you’ve already invested, even though it now requires a presumably smaller sum to deal with this latest problem.

And to correct my earlier typo, his character was actually Rab. C. Nesbitt. 👍

For younger members, the comb-over hero was Gregor Fisher who later achieved fame as Rab C Nesbit.

That was my thinking too, Renato. But you’ve expressed it rather better! While not wishing to denigrate the worthy Rabbi, could his statement not also be summarised as “happiness is being content with your lot”?

“But wanting all you have is not the same as having all you want.” LenT (2022)

Considering that your video so clearly confirms that this is the weak point in the car’s security, it’s hard to believe that Toyota can’t devise some method of screening it. It’s no consolation but steering wheel locks - especially the type that cover the wheel - are a good deterrent. There are also various forms of immobiliser and trackers that will make life even more difficult for these thieves. And of course with an open driveway like yours, security posts might have put them off completely. But these are all extras that apparently the customer is supposed to add to an already expensive product. All forms of security have their negatives and all are a balance between risk and reward. And considering the initial cost of your Lexus, buyers are surely entitled to expect more effective built-in security than your experience demonstrates.

I think you must be confusing me with someone else! I have never expressed any opinion about jogging. But to reassure any joggers, studies have shown that you’re 19 times more likely to contract Covid from aerosols emitted by infected nearby individuals indoors than if you are sensibly separated outdoors. No they didn’t say that. But I think we’ve already established Eric, that you don’t know how vaccines work!

You make a good point, Malcolm. This is what the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) has to say about the fuel levy: Fuel duties are levied on purchases of petrol, diesel and a variety of other fuels. They represent a significant source of revenue for government. In 2022-23, we expect fuel duties to raise £26.2 billion. That would represent 2.7 per cent of all receipts, and is equivalent to around £930 per household and 1.0 per cent of national income.

I think Linus has identified an important point….wheel size. I think these older IS250 may have been available on 16”, 17” and even 18” wheels. The bigger the wheel, the lower the tyre profile - which leads to a firmer ride. My IS250 came with 18” wheels although my preference would have been for 17”. The ride is certainly slightly less forgiving on our country lanes than other cars I’ve had. (A Citroen DS probably set an unbeatable standard,) But it’s not something that MrsT - my resident passenger - has ever complained about. And she would! Apart from which, check that the tyres are not overinflated.

I wish!!! After all, being paid to have a particular opinion seems to be perfectly respectable these days. They’re called ‘Influencers’ and it seems to be a nice little earner. I believe not being approached is clear evidence that I’m the victim of a Conspiracy! I think it’s because it’s well known that I can’t be bought. 😇 Others might suggest it’s because I’m not worth buying! 😢 You may well say that. I could not possibly comment.

Because according to sales figures culled from the SMMT, the number of electric cars registered in the UK – as of the end of July 2022 - were more than 930,000 plug-in vehicles with nearly 520,000 BEVs and 405,000 PHEVs registered. They state that last year saw the biggest annual increase in the number of registrations, with more than 305,000 electric vehicles registered showing a growth of 74% on 2020. 130,000 additional plug-in vehicles were sold in 2021 vs the number sold in 2020. Personally, I have no need or interest in buying an EV, but sales growth indicates that your claim that 'The entire point of electric cars is to get people off the road.' - whatever it may be based on - is clearly not happening. My own feeling is that the growth of the number of EVs appearing on our roads will be determined by the usual marketing factors: Availability of charging points, especially in new builds; advances in battery technology, relative reduction in car costs as unit production increases and a growing appreciation of a quieter, fume-free form of transport by a younger generation. The most significant limiting factor that I can see is the generation of sufficient electricity! It was, I believe, Tony Blairs' administration that cancelled the construction of new nuclear power stations on the basis that it would take about 15 years for them to come on stream. Or about now, in fact! I have had the opportunity to point out to our local MP that Rolls-Royce has the means to solve this problem. They have designed small-scale nuclear reactors with which to supply a fifth of the UK's total electricity capacity to homes across England and Wales by the end of the decade. More information on the EV market and vehicles can be read here: https://nextgreencar.com/electric-cars/statistics/

An interesting point, Eric. So where do you think that people who are buying electric cars are driving their electric cars? If the point is to get them off the road, then I don’t think it’s been very successful.

Well it was some years ago Steve! But as I recall, the OE tyres - Pirelli, I think - were fitted at a heavily discounted price as compensation. So in effect I got a refund and new Pirellis. The fitter said they’d never encountered this problem before! But then they’d probably never tried to fit these new Avons to an Elan before!

I asked because of my experience with a Lotus Elan many years ago! I went to a large local tyre retailer for a new set and the ‘expert’ recommended new, sporty Avons that were slightly wider than those already fitted. He assured me that they were safe to fit and they had done so on other, similar cars. The handling - already pretty good - was improved even further. I was very impressed….until a few weeks later and I had occasion to look under the car to check the exhaust system I happened to notice that a deep groove had appeared on the inner walls of both rear tyres! Although the wheels had spun freely when the suspension was dropped, once back on the road and loaded, the tyre was rubbing against metal caps that topped both suspension legs. A few more miles and both inner walls would have ruptured! It was a lesson that made me rather more cautious about making changes.

Excuse my ignorance, but have you checked the clearance with the car fully loaded?

That’s a good point you make, Adam. When I was getting new Goodyears for mine - which required different sizes on the two axles - I was about to have it serviced at my local Lexus dealer. Out of curiosity, I asked if they would like to quote for them. Somewhat to my surprise, they matched the discounted price from my regular tyre supplier. In the end, I went with the tyre retailer because I was also have Alloygators fitted. But clearly it’s always worth asking!

That should certainly be the case, John. As would be having a directional / asymmetrical tyre rotating in the wrong direction- which could happen if someone’s followed the usual directions for rotating tyres to equalise wear.

In which case, be aware that this may be an MOT fail. This is a summary of the relevant MOT regulations: Different tyres on the same axle : you must mount tyres of equal diameter on the same axle. Tyres should have the same tread pattern and share the same characteristics..

I note that there are a number of Google reviews for this Dealer too. So you might also consider bringing your dissatisfaction to the attention of a wider audience. Incidentally, as I recall, the Lexus website itself has a comment facility - possibly in the My Lexus section - in which you might ask Lexus about their policy regarding the Dealers’ use of customers’ cars for personal reasons.

It’s generally not considered a good idea to mix different brands of tyre. They will have different performance characteristics and may behave in an unpredictable way. The other relevant recommendation, just to mention it, is that if you’re only replacing two tyres, the newest should go on the rear - which would be the case for you anyway. So it would either be two new Bridgestones - or four new what ever you fancy!

The Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) should be activated and a warning light should come on if the tyre pressure has dropped significantly. Bear in mind that the efficacy of the self-sealing tyre depends very much on the particular system used and the size and position of the damage. There are also specific restrictions placed on the continuing use of the tyre.

Is your friend a Member of any of the motoring organisations? If so, it may be worth enquiring as I would have thought that warranty issues might be a common problem. My AA Membership certainly does include legal representation in the event of a motoring related problem.

Many thanks for that, Maurice. Turns out I already have some of that and ELS is already on! Useful…provided I’m in an area that can use it. Problem is…I’m nowhere near as smart as my phone!