LenT

Indeed they did lose money. 22.4 billion dollars in 2020, in fact. But not something that ERIC has chosen to mention in his choice of headlines. Which rather proves my point. Indeed, had he wished to give a more balanced view, he could have also noted that ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, Total and Chevron had total losses of 76 billion dollars.

Unarguably right! Enough rear cameras have been installed to prove it can be done. And a Dealer should have access to the kind of technical expertise that will cover even the more unusual causes of installation problems. But, presuming it is a Lexus Dealer, it’s not just customers who should be reassessing this Dealer, but Lexus too.

About what, precisely? That fuel prices rise faster than they fall should not come as a surprise. But that wasn’t my point. What I was suggesting is that simply grabbing a ragbag of newspaper headlines and presenting them in isolation, devoid of context or any sign of comprehending the complexities of the industry or the effects of global influences, does not make for a logical, considered appraisal of the situation. What it does do is merely pander to prejudice. I suspect that you haven’t read the articles to which I provided links - nor of course the other articles to which they are linked! If you had, you will see that those authors too have their dissenters. But you will also see that there’s much more to the oil and gas industry than is conveyed by the glib, simplistic and judgemental posturing with which a vocal minority seek to entertain us. I hope that makes it clearer. 🙂

I wonder if this may be connected to the presence of the aerial in the rear screen? My car suddenly developed a reception problem and it was traced to a break in the rear screen wiring, which was cured by replacing the screen. So it maybe the result of fitting the rear camera, not the fault of the rear camera.

Many years ago I was writing ads for the new DAF66 with a rather superior 4-cylinder engine coupled to the Variomatic gearbox. Daf gave me one to drive around for a while, which was an interesting comparison with the Lotus Elan I had at the time. But I soon realised that it was a comfortable, reliable, efficient family car with a more than adequate performance. Plus it had the added simplicity of the Variomatic. One lever that you pushed forward to go forward - and back to go back. I realised that if we could get potential buyers to take an extended test drive, they might well appreciate these qualities. So we came up with the first Two Day Test Drive. All the Dealers got a car to be loaned out to potential buyers for two days to drive anywhere they wished in the UK. All the cars were rapidly booked out and - as I recall - well over half were converted into sales. It was an interesting demonstration that the needs of the ‘average’ motorist may not be reflected by the views of the enthusiasts!

I suppose it’s no surprise that statements like these make no mention of the fact that only a year or so ago, the oil industry was announcing record LOSSES. Simplistic statements don’t really further an understanding of the complexity of oil and gas production and the investments that these same companies are making into the development of alternative energy sources. Nor do they acknowledge the part played in global disruptions that raise prices in ways beyond the control of the energy producers. But in the hunt for scapegoats no stone is left unthrown! For the sake of some balance, I thought these articles presented a more nuanced approach. They are US-based but the USA does represent one fifth of the total World’s energy consumption so the data has a global relevance. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/big-oil-isnt-as-rich-as-everybody-thinks-202513503.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvLnVrLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHWxTbff1l4by-vS0ntBZtcz6nGgQY0iPRzt_DD6-dF2KaaeAKeKVrCVp3euyPqrjMzaNQyHmArwTnnbVOMhdXsLYkw2pM1zPRh3z6Ji7NdZNXwwTfpj81Zl_oOOwsDgBFe_RmIJtuEkL_4XqG5tWv4Fh5i8shBa6K-DlPswJrxs https://www.convenience.org/Media/conveniencecorner/How-Much-Oil-Companies-Make-on-High-Gas-Prices I doubt they’ll even be read by the committed conspiracist, but then why spoil a good prejudice?

Would this be it, Philip? If so, then a very good price to include fitting. And a great way to protect your new investment. https://lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/product/lexus-nextbase-1080p-front-and-rear-integrated-dash-cam/ Just one thought: if this is the model fitted then I note that according to the specs. it comes with either a 16MB or a 32MB SD Card. My advice would be to buy the biggest capacity card the system will accept and use that, keeping the original as a spare. Should you be involved in an incident - and able to do so - then you can swap the cards over and thus keep the evidence secure. Also these cards should be reformatted on a monthly basis to avoid copying errors creeping in. It can be done in the camera, I believe, but if you remove the card to view it on a PC then you can pop your spare in so that the system is always functional. All the best with your new Lexus.

Perhaps it’s an age thing, but I quite appreciate the sensors. They are adjustable for sensitivity, but I rather like the strident warnings about solid, fixed objects - and even more so the early warnings of approaching vehicles and pedestrians, often as yet not visible in my mirrors. And I expect they do too! The one reversing aid I have installed is an LED bulb to replace the Toc H lamp that Lexus fits as standard. https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/955-w16w-white-philips-ultinon-pro6000-led-bulbs-single.html It’s a standard wedge fitting like the original bulb, not that much bigger - but far superior in its white light output. I don’t do much night driving in reverse, but every little helps!

Sad, but true. Why a company that goes to Mark Levinson for its audio system can’t go , as has been mentioned, to the likes of Garmin for its satnav is a puzzle. This seems a fair point. After all, the car may be four years old but the actual usage of the satnav in that time may be just a few hours! If the Lexus dealer has now conceded that the sd card has failed, you could argue that that is an unacceptable time-to-failure and it suggests it was inherently faulty. So replacing it is their responsibility. I also wonder what your satnav Manual has to say about sd card location?

2015 IS 250 Premier. In fact, it was only because I thought it might be of some help that I looked up its function. So at least I’ve learnt something!

I hope this will do, Dan. But by the sound of it, if you have said button, it may be elsewhere. Its function Is described in my Manual in a section headed ‘anti-theft deterrent’. But while I have the button, I don’t have the siren. Or at least, not one that I have yet discovered.

I don’t seem to have such a button. But what I do have is a button on the roof near the interior mirror, as part of the moonroof/ front interior lights unit, that sets the intrusion and tilt sensor. If you set this to Off it disables the alarm system. If it’s On I wonder if it accounts for the erratic behaviour that Dan’s experiencing?

If I’ve understood you correctly, Dan, this means that the alarm will no longer sound even if there’s a legitimate cause for it to do so. So you’ve stopped the symptom but not solved the problem? Do you propose to regard this as a temporary respite while you continue to investigate the cause, troublesome though it clearly is?

My thanks to you David for finding this track by Eva Cassidy. It’s many years since I played my copy of Songbird and I shall now hunt it out and remind myself of what a uniquely evocative voice she had. Such a sad loss at an early age. ☹️

As none else as answered as yet, I’ll venture an opinion. Toyoto Gazoo Racing is a Cologne-based racing and tuning operation, so I suspect it refers to a Stage 2 performance tuning! 🙂 You have the VIN number so I suggest you contact Gazoo and they should be able to tell you all about that specific car. Hope this helps.

I am relieved to learn that your allusion was textural rather than gustatory.🙂

I almost hesitate to ask, but ‘sugar-like’ in what respect? 🤢

I agree. A full Detailing service, such as I got for my Lexus, would seem to be a natural ancillary for a well-equipped body shop. And I wouldn’t be so bold as to say they don’t exist. But I couldn’t find one when I was looking locally and used this chap. https://www.huntsmiths.co.uk He spent four days working through the many stages of a full Detailing process. I think the economics of a regular body shop would not make this profitable - which is why it’s become a specialist service. In fact, while I agree that having the process applied to a brand new car is a very good idea, as other posters here have reported they actually take the car to a Detailer who has to spend some time ‘correcting’ the paintwork of the new car!

Coincidentally, just returned from a practical demonstration of the value of ceramic coatings. Strolling past my white Lexus, I noticed the bonnet was now sporting purple patches and deposits. But a quick local spray with the garden hose was pretty much all it took to restore its pristine whiteness. Mind you, it. probably wouldn’t do to leave it undisturbed for too long! As for the culprits…well, let’s just say that I know where they live!

I don’t know if you’re still interested Renato, after four months (!), but as no-one has replied I thought I’d venture an answer. Body shops and Detailers do appear to be distinct businesses. So it’s unlikely that a body shop would have the same ceramic products as the original Detailer . In fact it may not even do that kind of detailed Detailing. So if possible, if it happened to me, I’d take the repaired bodywork back to the original Detailer - who would appreciate the opportunity to work on a well-prepared surface.

I expect that by now, Bill, you may have got the impression that relying on the car’s jack is generally thought to be a bad idea! 😊 But I suspect it’s a widely held belief that what the car maker provides must be up to the job. But they are only intended for temporary use for wheel removal under ideal conditions. In such circumstances your hands are away from the car body and you’re only applying a horizontal, pulling force. Once you start to work in the wheel space, then you’re exposing more of your body and applying forces in different directions that could destabilise the supporting jack. For general information, I thought this article by, admittedly, a Company that makes stands and jacks, might be if interest. https://www.sgs-engineering.com/help-advice/how-to-use-axle-stands/

I may be mistaken - and it may vary from car to car - but I suspect that axle stands can also go under the axles. Hence the name. 😊 I’m not sure that two scissor jacks - or the pillar variety- are twice as safe as one. I would suggest that the best combination for anything more serious than just changing a wheel, is a trolley jack used to lower the car onto axle stands. Remembering, of course, to apply the hand brake! In fact, I can remember when cars came equipped with a wheel chock as well As mentioned earlier, I also put the wheels under the cills. They’ve got to go somewhere! Best combination is a well maintained trolley jack to lower the car on to stands. The only people who should be encouraged to go under a car simply supported by a trolley jack are those individuals after your catalytic converter.

With respect Mark, these are reasonably priced …to me. And you can pay even less. And they are less than a set of brake pads! But Colin has got it absolutely right. The fact that you currently think you’ll only use them this once is really irrelevant. It’s not what they cost you to buy, but what they could cost you if you don’t! Also bear in mind that once you have them, it’s often the way that you’ll find future uses that you hadn’t considered. Or that having them will make possible.

And rightly so, Mark. I presume you’re referring to its security. So I take it that you don’t have a pair of axle stands. This sort of thing: https://www.halfords.com/tools/garage-workshop/axle-stands-trolley-jacks/halfords-advanced-2-tonne-ratchet-axle-stands-657131.html?istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istFeedId=367c5610-f937-4c81-8609-f84582324cd6&istItemId=wrxqixrqt&istBid=t&_$ja=tsid:|cid:17363835999|agid:|tid:|crid:|nw:x|rnd:12545023101212641209|dvc:t|adp:|mt:|loc:1006551&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt_7PrKSN-QIVDOztCh1v5QidEAQYBCABEgLgbPD_BwE And of course the wheel you take off is placed under the chassis so that, if everything fails, that’s what the car drops on to. And if you planned to do more work, good trolley jacks are very reasonable. My apologies if you already do all this! 🙂