LenT

That would have been a very memorable trip to Skye, I imagine. It’s a very fine whisky! One of my clients was Johnnie Walker. This too entailed the occasional quality control check to their various distilleries located in scenic parts of Scotland - and the blending plant in the somewhat less so area of Kilmarnock!

Just to be clear, Julian, are you saying that your Insurer has declared the Lexus as irreparable within its insured value and thus a write off?

I doubt you can get better advice on matters Lexus electrical than from Herbs. And most here would agree that updating the Lexus navigation system - even if possible - would still leave you with a very inferior system. I use my Garmin! However, if you’re determined to have a go and since you mentioned using a USB stick, here’s an article on updating, from the Lexus website, that uses a USB stick. If it works, do let us know! https://mag.lexus.co.uk/how-to-update-maps-on-your-lexus-navigation-system/

Congratulations and all the very best with both your new babies, Nicole. No personal experience with solar panels, although I have read that some may not actually deliver the output they claim. However, you can’t go wrong with a trickle charger which will, after all, work just as efficiently all through the night! I have a CTEK and while you can find cheaper, you’ll not find better. They can also be left connected as they cannot overcharge the battery. Incidentally, the charger should come with a lead that will connect to the battery posts and has a plug on the end. This plugs into another lead from the charger, so you never have to touch the actual battery again. All the best.

Excellent, Steve. I’ve done much the same myself. Dashcams are not just for providing evidence to support a claim. By identifying dangerous drivers, they also help to prevent future accidents.

Yes, I think it’s expressed as the centre 3/4 of the tread - and the maximum permitted size of the repair is 6mm. Also tyres rated V or over are only allowed one repair - although I think this would have to be a ‘professional’ standard of repair in any case. incidentally, these roadside ‘string’ repairs are regarded as temporary because without removing the tyre and inspecting the carcass, it’s not possible to determine what other damage may have been done internally to the other layers that constitute the tread.

Some years ago a friend was puzzled by two nails that turned up, one after the other, in a front tyre of his Landrover. Approaching it again one morning, he noticed something glinting by the front tyre. It was a nail carefully propped up against the tyre. Fortunately that was the last time it happened. Equally fortunately, he never discovered who was doing it. So the thought that the OP was a victim of such vandalism did occur to me, but for it to be deliberate, I would have thought the screw would be more certain of causing damage if it had been inserted into one of the sipes.

May I just reassure my neighbours and fellow villagers who see me set off in my IS250 that I am, by choice, a stranger to the limits of my car. 😊

It does to me, Andrew. Braking distance - under various road conditions….absolutely. Fuel efficiency - not so much. Same with mileage - not that crucial. In fact I rate noise and comfort levels much higher. They just reflect my personal priorities. And how do I choose? Well, previous brand experience is a factor. Chatting to tyre suppliers is informative, but you have to bear in mind that they have particular brands they’re trying to sell. And, ultimately, reading the pages of tyre reviews that are available in magazines and online. But again remembering that the tester’s priorities may not mirror my own. Oh, and of course reading the comments by fellow LOC members! Frankly, I don’t know how else to do it. Fortunately it’s not something I have to do very often.

There’s really an embarrassment of riches in terms of tyre choice these days. When I was looking for a new set, the Goodyear Asymmetric 5s had recently been introduced and were the subject of numerous favourable road tests. They also had the benefit of being available in the two different sizes that my 18” wheels required. They have proved to be an excellent choice in terms of noise and ride comfort - and for my particular concern…wet road handling. They suit my driving style, which I would describe these days as merely ‘brisk’ - so not in any way really demanding, if I can help it! Certainly worth adding to the list of possibles.

This seems a fair point! Of course you do need to ensure that it’s actually activated. But as you appear concerned to avoid a system that’s integrated into the electrical system, then that surely eliminates an alarm system anyway. Even the latest, highly sophisticated, programmable immobiliser systems (eg the Ghost Immobiliser) have to be introduced into the wiring loom somewhere. Have you considered a visible theft deterrent? Of these, the best is probably the Disklok Steering Lock that completely covers the wheel and I don’t recall any destructive test that succeeded in removing it within ten minutes. If someone wanted your car that badly, they would probably have to drag it onto a trailer! https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product-group-tests/95031/best-steering-wheel-locks-2021

A sorry tale indeed, Ed, that raises many questions. How did a simple tyre removal damage a wheel? Why did the Fitter not notice and instead went on to repeat the problem with the other three wheels? How did a TPMS valve get damaged? I would suspect that this is not even KF’s normal standard of service, so just wondered how the matter was resolved. Regarding Lexus price match, I too was surprised that my local Lexus dealer would price.match a new set of Goodyear Asymmetric 5s when I was buying a set from my regular tyre specialist. I went with the tyre people because I was also having a set of Alloygators fitted - which I would certainly recommend to anyone with alloy wheels! But it does highlight the generally high level of customer service that Lexus provides.

Provided the Michelins are the same size specification then they will directly replace the Run Flats. In fact, depending on the tread design, construction and compound mix, the Michelins will almost certainly provide a more comfortable, quieter ride with better handling and wet road performance. RFs are not the panacea that some people suppose. They mainly just have a thicker, more rigid sidewall so that if the tyre deflates, it can still be driven on at slow speed for a limited number of miles - sufficient to get to a replacement. If the sidewall itself is damaged then even that may not be possible. The disadvantages are that the thicker walls make the tyre less flexible so that road noise and vibration are more pronounced. Even if the cause of the air loss is minor, most repairers won’t consider a RF repair because there’s no way of knowing how much damage has been caused by the wheel rim running on the sidewall. The benefits are mainly with the car maker. They save weight, cost and possibly space by not supplying a spare. You’re better off with the Michelins and a SpaceSaver spare - and not an Inflation Kit substitute!

Fascinating that you should remember that. It has gone down in Ad Biz folk lore as a hugely successful branding campaign that was a disaster in terms of sales! This article outlines why. If you get a Subscription Panel first, just click the cross in the top right corner to reveal the article. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/history-advertising-18-strand-cigarettes/1074298

I appreciate this is an afterthought, but I presume you don’t have a dashcam front and rear. In Parking Mode and activated by proximity detector, they can provide a way of identifying suspects. I do recall seeing such results in the past. These days perhaps also worth checking if any cars parked back and front might have such cameras. Supermarket car parks can also provide helpful CCTV - and there’s also the possibility of domestic security cameras and video door bells on adjacent housing capturing suspicious activity.

I used our local ChipsAway guy to repair two scuffed alloys and he did an excellent job. Of course, it’s a franchise so individual operators may very, but they do offer a free estimate service - and they are in Cambridgeshire. And they come to you to do it, which is another saving in your time as Insurers may require you to take it to a Body Shop - and leave it there.

These may have been the ones. Hard to find in the UK then - and apparently now only sold in the US. But Punch were excellent cigars - and no doubt still are. Seriously expensive too! I see Villager are still available, from the cut down Rio 6 version to the larger round and pressed offerings - that’s the one for people blessed with rectangular mouths, as you put it!

Generally sound advice, I think Herbs. But like most aphorisms there’s often an alternative position. Forgive me if I’ve mentioned this before, but the one I like is: ”Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, then to open it and remove all doubt!”

I just wondered if your Lexus came with a Manual? They’re very detailed and many of the questions you will have will be answered in them. Unfortunately, although the Lexus website (lexus.co.uk) has a good support facility, the Manuals only go back as far as 2012 models. If you don’t have one with the car it’s possible that the Lexus dealer can get a digital copy for you. Using the Lexus dealer already recommended is definitely sound advice - certainly for the first inspection. There will always be somewhere that can do it cheaper, but Lexus - and Honda - are regularly to be found at the top of the Customer Satisfaction Surveys. Something else worth checking - if you haven’t yet done so - is the vehicle’’s MOT history. It will flag up any past failures or Advisories. https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history All the best with it.

As has already been mentioned, the culprit could be inadvertently pressing the unlock button on the key fob. This is what my Manual has to say on the subject. Wireless remote control LOCK SYMBOL 1 Locks all the doors Press and hold to close the windows and moon roof.* IS250_EE(OM53B11E UNLOCK SYMBOL 2 Unlocks all the doors Press and hold to open the windows and moon roof.* *: These settings must be customized at any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.

While I agree with pretty much everything else, I rather think this may be a counsel of perfection. The reality with most car owners is that tyres tend to be taken for granted and if checked at all, it’s generally just a cursory inspection. But most dangerous of all are the drivers who don’t even bother with that and drive around with tyres that are visibly bald! Of course, it’s often the case that they don’t bother with MOTs either! Or RFT. Or insurance. In which case I suppose they’re only going to be exposed by spot checks or when they have a loss of control. Rather than tinkering with the current system - which I think on balance works pretty well - we need to find more effective ways to take the criminally careless off the road. And keep them off it for far longer.

Only that it’s better to pick up the damage sooner rather than later. Unfortunately I was interrupted in mid-write but I was going to go on with something on these lines, but I think you’ve probably expressed it better than I was going to. Why not combine a Service conducted by Dealers - who are invariably MOT recognised anyway - with a recognised Test procedure? As it happens, because I do so few miles, my Service is conducted on a time basis not mileage. So I am able to have it done at the same time. Since wear of the basic safety items tends to occur mainly during use, it could be argued that the MOT should maybe also be conducted on the same basis and coincide with the Service. Of course, the big problem here would be those car owners who do their own servicing, in which case the vehicle would still have to be independently checked.

In Jan 2018 the DoT concluded a Consultation to determine if the first MoT should move from 3 years to 4. It was decided, in ‘the interests of road safety’ to retain the 3 year trigger point. At that time the Pass rate was 85% and the main reasons for failure were tyres, brakes and lighting. I doubt that the situation has changed greatly since then. The build standards of modern cars are really remarkably high. So from the mechanical aspect I can envisage that components such as suspension, steering, say, may only need biennial checks until they reach a certain age - say ten years - and then revert to annual. The problem, surely, is that it doesn’t take even a year to render a tyre dangerously unsafe. It can be done in minutes - and may not be apparent to even the conscientious car owner. Equally, bad driving can render a tyre virtually bald long before a biennial test would pick it up. So Linus makes a good point about the biennial TuV test being more rigorous than the annual MoT, but I can’t help feeling that the annual MoT is better at catching those car owners who, frankly, couldn’t ‘give a toss’ about their tyres! On balance, I think an annual test does a good job at picking up basic problems - and there may be an argument for introducing a TuV style check biennially for vehicles over, say, ten years old. But the concept that car ownership should be made cheaper by reducing the standards or frequency of vehicle testing doesn’t strike me as advancing road safety.

if your average journey is only four miles, then you’re not even replacing the current used to start the engine in the first place! The CTEK you have cannot overcharge your battery, so you would be better off to leave it connected overnight, say, if possible, on a monthly basis. It will also help to keep the battery in a better condition. Your CTEK should have come with a plug-in connector system in which leads are permanently fixed to the battery posts and end in a socket, which then connects to the charger. You can get these ‘traffic light’ versions which enable you to check the charge level at a glance. This is one of the two sizes they come in. https://www.ctek.com/business-uk/battery-chargers-12v-24v/indicator-eyelet-m8

I’m clearly missing something obvious here, Barry, but I don’t really see what it was about the Lexus dealer that would justify entrusting the service to a non-Lexus dealer. Like John, I would have thought the quality of the Service would have been the most important factor. As I understand it, you were annoyed that a smaller car was offered so on the next occasion opted for an arrangement to have the car serviced early - an arrangement satisfactory enough to choose to repeat it.. I’m not knowledgeable as to the economics of running a large Dealership, but I can imagine that the profit margins on a standard Service don’t really support running a comprehensive loan car fleet. I would be interested to know, however, what prevents them from offering the use of one of the more suitable used cars that seem to decorate all of their forecourts. Is it any more difficult to arrange than an extended test drive?