LenT

I see that the Michelin tyre selector only comes up with Pilot Sport at that size. As John suggested, a call to Michelin might be the answer. My IS250 uses different sizes on each axle, of which Michelin only made one! Otherwise there would have been four CrossClimates on by now.

That struck me too, Bill. In fact, I didn’t even know that there was a Grundig brand washer. So checking on the Grundig website, I eventually tracked down the filter page and discovered that they were £11.99 each direct from Grundig! It’s possible that they only come into use during specific synthetic material washes, but that’s a significant annual extra spend for the average family, I would have thought. Even if it only comes into use on a specific wash program basis, with just the two of us I could see that amounting to one new filter a week! Some mistake, surely?

Hello Darren, You can probably learn a lot more about your car by going to the lexus.co.uk website and registering at the ‘My Lexus’ page. Incidentally, make sure you have all the Manuals when you pick it up. They will come in very useful! All the best with it.

I rather think, Mark, that with this new information you’ve pretty much answered your own questions. I have had some slight experience of the lanes of which you speak and understand your thinking! As for the persistent TPMS warning light…would a small square of black electrical tape solve the problem?

If you’re concerned, Eric, it may be worth taking it to an Aircon specialist. Catching a problem early is always cheaper than rectifying it later. But did the loud sound gradually go away? Just wondering if it was as simple as the aircon set on auto and having to work particularly hard to lower the internal temperature?

What intrigued me, Malcolm, is that Mark has already told us that he has bought new alloys and is about to buy new tyres. So his investment in his 16 year-old car is already substantial and suggests he’s planning to keep it. So the additional spend to restore an original feature may give a satisfying sense of completion. Hopefully, Mark will let us know! So true, Malcolm. It is ironic that it takes increasingly complex technology to make our lives simpler! I could dismantle much of my early cars. Now, while my cars are far superior in every respect, almost everything under the bonnet is a mystery to me. I can recall driving down Oxford Street in London in my first car - an elderly Ford Anglia - when the engine died as the lights turned red. I was out of the car, with the bonnet up, diagnosing and rectifying a dislodged HT Lead and back in restarting the engine before the lights changed to green. At the time, I was quite impressed. The new lady friend in the passenger seat…not so much.

There’s no point in using the old ones. TPMS batteries are generally regarded as having about 5 - 10 years life, depending on usage. If these are the originals than they’re obviously well past that. When I had to replace a TPMS valve I was at a large, local tyre retailer. They had no trouble matching the Lexus valve with an equivalent. They charged me about £60, including fitting and programming. So I’d be inclined to ring your local tyre supplier to check them first. Setting up the system itself should be covered in the Manual, if you have one. But remember to set the tyre pressures first! As for whether it’s worth even having the system…I would say yes. Incorrect pressure is a real killer for tyres and I had the warning come up on a really cold winter’s day because a slightly low pressure had dropped a little further. It’s also a very good early warning of a slow leak - which is always worth investigating. Good luck!

If it’s similar to my Blackvue, then it’s a case of going into the ‘Settings’ program of the camera and looking for the ‘Sensitivity’ settings. These enable you to adjust the degree of three dimensional displacement that will activate the camera. I do get an audible warning ‘ding’ when encountering a pothole, for example. It may also have a motion detecting system that will start recording if there’s activity close to the cameras. It’s possible that you may only detect these responses when you play back the video. This requires the Parking Mode on. It does result, in my case for example, in collecting hours of other shoppers walking around car parks. Still, you never know when one might bash a shopping trolley into a door! Well done in getting the connectivity sorted out.

No Shapoor…it looks like l’m the confused one! 🙁 I searched for Jem Lexus and up comes Lexus Edgware Road in north London. Investigating further, I now find some old posts in which folk are looking for low cost servicing in the area and find that these two are pretty much on a par - but not necessarily the cheapest. So my suggestion to Nadeem is still try Lexus Edgware Road. It seems the closest option anyway. Or maybe he’s already tried them? Anyway, Matron says it’s time for my nap.

GREAT NEWS, NADEEM! I have just called a contact number for Lexus Edgware Road (0203 733 1715) and have been assured that they are OPEN for business! True, I selected ‘Service’ and got through to the Group booking centre - so there was a degree of holding on and listening to music - but I was assured that the location is open as usual. The contact I spoke with said he would investigate the Google page information. It may be that if I had selected ‘Sales’ I might have got straight through to the branch. I hope this helps.

A good example is the excellent Michelin CrossClimate. - which the OP might well consider if it’s in budget. Launched in May 2015, it was replaced by the Michelin CrossClimate Plus in around Jan 2017 and again by the Michelin CrossClimate 2 in Sept 2021.

In the end your choice is ultimately decided by your budget and your usage. It always makes sense to buy the best tyres you can afford. Tyres that are cheap are cheap for a reason. On the other hand, the top manufacturers also make ‘budget’ brands which benefit from the same research and production resources, but may be produced in a limited range of sizes. Above all, never mix brands. ALWAYS have the same tyres all round. And if you’re only replacing two tyres, remember that the new ones go on the rear axle. As to which tyre to go for, there are plenty of auto magazines that do regular tyre reviews online, using closed test tracks. Apart from noise, there maybe other aspects that you might want to consider, such as wet weather performance, fuel economy, mileage and so on. This website I found - but have not used - I see gives a list of premium, budget tyres. So this might at least enable you to identify the price range you’re comfortable with and then examine them individually. I hope this helps as a starter. https://www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/brands

It’s all a question of how much you want to invest. As Peter says, it offers clear advantages over even the shiniest of wax finishes. But if you do a high mileage and thus expose the car to increased risk of damage, then it’s also worth considering PPF for the front bumper area. It has a degree of self-healing to offer. The downside is that it requires more preparation to ensure the best possible paint surface, because the film will magnify any surface imperfections. Something I didn’t consider when I had mine ‘Detailed’ is that it means an end to quick trips to the local car wash! That ceramic finish needs a specific after-care routine. So if it’s to be correctly maintained, there’s probably a bit more buying to be done.

I would have thought you might well have a case. It does look like the rig, which could have stayed in the right-hand lane, has cut across in front of you and forced you over to the grass verge to avoid a collision. And got a two-thumb action on the horn for their pains! One comment on editing files. I would expect the Police to want the files unedited. Evidence of tampering with the video may make it inadmissible. Good luck with it.

Well remembered, James. Yes, the incident Peniole describes is perfect for Operation Snap. Again it should be accessible from the website of the Police Authority involved. There is a online form for the incident details, and a facility for downloading the video files. I don’t know if all Forces are operating the scheme and it does only cover a restricted list of offences.

The incident you describe is all too common. I think it falls under the category of ‘Driving without Due Care and Attention’. We have a roundabout on a dual carriageway near us where we have recorded several incidences of cars approaching in the left lane and then cutting across without warning to turn right. What is particularly galling in your case is that the offender probably drove on blissfully unaware that it was your good driving that averted an accident. In my case, I first had to identify which Police Authority was responsible for that area. I did this by contacting my local Police who gave me the relevant details. I called them and was put through to their Traffic Police. As soon as I described the incident and my video evidence, they were very enthusiastic. A PC contacted me to send the inevitable paperwork, which I returned with a memory stick with the video files. He then kept me informed of his efforts to catch the driver at home (3) and the issuing of a Police Caution after this individual admitted the offence. The PC finally called me to detail the encounter and asked if I was satisfied with that outcome - or did I wish to take it further? In fact, I thought that was satisfactory as the offender was quite shocked and might well in future consider that the next car he deliberately endangers might well also have a camera! So it was a bit long winded, but perseverance paid off. However, I think matters may have changed. If you know the Police Authority involved, then visit their website. Many Forces are now actively soliciting video files of bad driving. After all, it can be a virtually certain conviction and enhances their detection stats! So good luck. You could even post it here, I expect!

Firstly, well done on getting yourself camera equipped. This really is a case of ‘the more, the merrier’. Regarding warnings, there is no law of which I’m aware that requires such notices. What would be the purpose? Will it tempt someone to drive close enough to read it? Will it tempt a passing thief to break in to steal it? My experience is that tailgaters suddenly see the rear camera and rapidly drop back. Would it have deterred the dangerous behaviour of your van driver? Probably not. But what would make him think twice is that the next time he behaved that way, he got a visit from the local Police. It certainly made an impression on the driver who I reported! So I wouldn’t even wait for ‘something bad to happen.’ Be proactive and get them identified. After all, the next time they behave that way may not have such a happy ending Sorry I can’t help with connectivity problem - it’s a bit of a mystery to me too. But in case I haven’t mentioned it before - and you haven’t yet set it up - get Parking Mode activated. Your car is as much at risk when it’s parked and the ignition is off.

Somehow, I’ve always pictured you as probably being too big to fit in one… 😊

I’ve seen quite a few complaints on LOC about insurance. Searching around online for the very best deal is an obvious way to go. But it can, apparently, make you a target of the Ghost Brokers! I’ve just had this information from the Anti-scam division of Which - or at least, I’m pretty sure that’s who it’s from - about this particular attempt to relieve drivers of their money. Worse still it leaves you uninsured. So if you’ve not encountered this one before, it’s probably worth a read. https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/beware-the-cheap-car-insurance-thats-too-good-to-be-true-az5lP4w5Yqrl?utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=scam_alert&utm_content=Scam+alert+020722+A

I agree with you there, Paul. Occasionally, however, I noted how difficult it was to get a BBC Producer to concede that they might - just possibly - have got something wrong. The problem of balanced reporting comes to mind. Many years ago, while recording radio commercials for clients, I would be working with one through sharing production facilities. When it came to certain production values - such as the perennial problems of mumbling, overloud background music - they were rather dismissive of listeners’ complaints. Fortunately, as I was paying - they did it my way!

See revised post below!,,

Well, all those of a delicate disposition had better move on. I had to look it up, but here - in its full horror - is their list of the Inquisition’s weapons of torture… ‘Fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, almost fanatical devotion to the Pope, a nice red uniform.’ https://people.csail.mit.edu/paulfitz/spanish/script.html Read it and quake. Now if the Spanish Inquisition made cars….?

He won’t be expecting that! No-one expects the Spanish Inquisition.

I think John accurately reflects the general opinion of the clunky Lexus satnav system. Why a company that can outsource its audio system to Mark Levinson, can’t go to the likes of, say, Garmin, for its satnav, is a puzzle. I’m sure you’ll find every other aspect of your Lexus very rewarding to own and use. But it may need an owner of a CT200h to answer your specific question - or Lexus dealer. One other thought if you haven’t yet tried it. If you go to lexus.co.uk and register with My Lexus, you can direct specific questions to Lexus direct. Sometimes, unfortunately, they just recommend that you consult a Dealer! But My Lexus can be a useful source in many cases.

Hard for me to comment on your specific car. As is so often the case, it does depend on the life it’s led.. But judging from the experience of owners such as Vladimir and Linas, a properly maintained Lexus just doesn’t know when to call it a day! The only software that I think is generally regarded as disappointing is the clunky SatNav! It is - literally- a waste of space. I use my Garmin; others use their smart phones. With regard to economy, I would describe my driving style as ‘brisk’ - economy is not a prime consideration. The Honda’s 2.2 v-tec diesel was a splendid unit that delivered me 660 miles on a tankful. The Lexus’s 2.5 v6 is a joy to use and promises 330 per tankful. I used to think maybe it had a smaller tank. But not so - they’re virtually identical. So if fuel economy had been a particular concern, the Honda was a clear winner.