LenT

Roger that, Roger. I have often wondered why dashcams are not standard fittings on new cars. As you say, much of the basic technology is already being fitted to new cars. Herbs’ point about updating the system is a valid one, but one we accept in other areas. Take the Lexus satnav system. Either you pay for software updates where available or - like myself - you use a far superior system, like my Garmin, instead. On the other hand, most of us would accept that the ML audio system that Lexus built in to my car is not likely to need upgrading. In my case it’s probably superior to anything I would have chosen myself. And retrofitting all those speakers would have eliminated it anyway!

If your journey is that imperative then your options are obviously limited. If the europarts option will fit and do the job, then you may as well just get on with it! I hesitate to mention some alternatives, but I have assumed that you don’t belong to any motoring organisation and don’t have a friendly neighbour who can provide a jumpstart! If it helps. I notice that Halfords has a range of similarly priced batteries and will deliver in some localities. Might be worth checking their website. Fot the future it might be worth joining the AA and/or investing in a good trickle charger. Let us know how you get on. All the best.

To be fair, Bernard, you could have stopped at…

Double Parkers. People who are so important that they are entitled to park alongside cars already neatly lined up along a road so that they can stride into the shop/office/flat directly opposite without the inconvenience of finding a sensible parking space that’s not quite so convenient and would involve the effort of a short walk and to whom the possibility that their action may result in blocking in another driver who may be under the impression that their reason for wanting to leave may be important to them but is in fact insignificant when compared to the importance of the Double Parker and their inalienable right not to be inconvenienced by the thoughtless behaviour of individuals who earlier had chosen to occupy the kerb space directly in front of their destination.

Not you too James! What is the World coming to?

Just come across this dashcam review site, Vortex Radar. In this video he’s comparing two BlacKVue cameras and a Viofo - but he appears to have done many others. But most usefully it demonstrates what can be done by utilising smart phone and ‘Cloud ‘ technology; the use of polarising filters, parking mode and such like. It even features a Lexus at one point, just to keep it relevant! The comments section might also prove useful.

So what happens when you leave your car and someone hits it and drives off? What happens, Alan, is….nothing! You return and discover the damage and no evidence of how it happened. What you want, I suggest, is a dashcam system that is powered even with the ignition off and will respond to an impact - or a motion sensor - by recording not only the event itself, but a few seconds before it. Now there are at least two ways of doing this and cameras may offer either or both. One method is to provide the camera with an independent power supply that kicks in once the ignition is off, and is charged by the car’s battery when driving. Another is a Power Monitor that is connected to a permanently live feed and regulates the current drain to avoid the battery charge falling below a preset level. The current drain of a dashcam in standby mode is minimal anyway. Herbs has pointed out that there’s nothing special about the Lexus cameras. They’re Nextbase and perfectly acceptable in terms of performance. Personally I’ve had BlackVues for many years. But I had them all fitted by the same local auto electrician, who will have more experience than the average Lexus mechanic. I would be inclined to get comparative fitting estimates and also assess which cameras suit you best. It may be that you could reduce the Lexus cost by combining it with, say, a regular service. Or may be the fact that an auto electrician will come to you will be more convenient. I would also suggest that you buy the largest capacity microSD card the camera will accept and keep the small capacity card it comes with as a spare. So if you are involved in an incident, you can swap the cards around and thus preserve the evidence.

Edd China left the show in 2017 after, I believe, one series in the States. Ant Anstead replaced him for the next three series until leaving to do his own show. I started to lose interest for the same reason that China gave: namely the workshop content was reduced in order to increase the cheaper, Brewer-oriented content in which he demonstrated that he was no mechanic. Also I have to admit that I was less interested in the American vehicles that now tended to predominate. I thought that Anstead seemed perfectly competent but the change in focus was less appealing. I’ve no idea what the new mechanic will do for the show, but, for me, more Brewer is not compelling viewing. Or even my reason for watching in the first place. I can’t comment on your Lexus dealer. Mine has been excellent. Were I to buy another Lexus, it would be from them.

I have assumed that you're addressing me, Chris. Well, it's a bit of a digression but I'm happy to explain. I should emphasise that I can only comment on Mike Brewer's TV persona. 1. So, firstly what is a 'Wheeler Dealer'? Well in common parlance it's someone who, while engaging in a commercial or political transaction, is prepared to employ unscrupulous, unsavoury, deceptive, amoral and even dishonest practices to achieve their ends. Typically, the used car salesman is cited as the architype. So it's a pejorative term - but one that Mike Brewer uses to define himself! I would have thought that would answer your question! 2. The premise of the show is that Brewer uses his 'skills' as a self-defined wheeler-dealer to buy cars at the lowest possible price and then resell for the highest possible price after "my mechanic" has worked to restore them to pristine condition. In doing so he will often appear to be less than forthright with the seller and then gloat after the purchase at having bought the vehicle for 'silly money'. I often wonder how the Seller must feel when they finally see the programme? I do wonder if the agreement is that they will accept a low offer from Brewer - to make any eventual sale that much more attractive - with the sweetener of an 'appearance fee' to make their actual sale acceptable? Equally, when selling he is not above claiming that he has other buyers ready to pounce, when he has already revealed that there's not actually been that much interest! Again, do those Buyers feel themselves to be a little bit duped when they watch the programme? Ultimately, as such factors as the costs of labour, workshop overheads and such like, were never included, it's unlikely that any project even broke even! But of course, it didn't have too. The buying and selling components were simply a vehicle to give Brewer a reason for being there. In that respect I actually prefer an alternative car show called 'Car SOS',. which presents the restoration not as a commercial venture but as an altruistic endeavour. 3. I find his attitude to Edd China patronising. He is introduced as 'my mechanic' and often berated for not doing what he, Brewer, has instructed. Now this may all be for dramatic effect, but it's uncomfortable viewing. The irony is that Brewer is credited only as a Presenter; Edd China is an Associate Producer. In the hierarchy of production companies, it's Brewer who works for China! 4. I only speak for myself, but the buying and selling are irrelevant to me. The real skills are demonstrated by Edd China - the diagnostics, the mechanical demonstrations, the automotive insights, the ultimate restoration - all supplied by Edd China. (Although in reality he is also aided by Paul Brackley, technical advisor for the series, and occasionally one or two other mechanics off camera). Brewer became increasing conscious of how relatively insignificant his contribution was, and this can be seen in the later US produced shows when he would be shown, for example, changing the spark plugs or 'supervising' the machining of a cylinder head! 5. Another reason for Brewer's 'expanded' role was because the American production company, Velocity, which had bought the show, realised that the most expensive part was the workshop section and they decided to save money by reducing it. This is what prompted Edd China to leave.

Quite right Paul..I think that’s the point we were all making. Until….Hristo revealed that he was actually only paying £900 for the car! The possibility then arises that the dealer was selling it ‘as seen’ with no warranty and wasn’t prepared to spend any time or money on it. Now if ‘Hristo’ turns out to be anything like, say, Edd China, then it all makes sense! Even better if there’s no Mike Brewer equivalent involved.

So basically you bought a twenty one year-old IS200 for £900. Yes, I can see that puts a different perspective on the sale! If it came with a genuine MoT, sound bodywork, interior and mechanicals, then it sounds like a good buy. Good luck with it.

Sound advice. If this was a sale by a registered trader, then dismissing a warning light ‘as nothing major’ is ridiculous. It should be sorted before sale. And beware of the quick fix solution: disconnecting the wire to the warning light!

Just curious, Lucas. As a general rule, the only way of determining the limits of anything is by exceeding them. So was your learning process done on the relative safety of a track? I also can’t help feeling that “driving as fast as the tyres would physically let me” doesn’t leave much room for error or a sudden change of circumstances eg road surface, motorists, pedestrians, animals and all the other impedimenta that I often encounter. Or is it just me?

I’m intrigued. My aged hearing is such that whether the system was ML or Pioneer would be irrelevant. In any case, I don’t think a car is the best environment for high fidelity music rendition in the first place. But clearly there are those, possibly more discerning folk like yourself, for whom this is a matter of concern. But is it really a deal breaker? I can see that it might be a more significant factor if choosing between different examples of the same model - especially in the used car market. But is it really a matter of, say, no ML then no Lexus?

Pretty much sums it up, I think. However, some points you might want to consider. Most tyre manufacturers recommend a minimum of 3mm of tread, after which performance declines quite sharply. So depending on the roads and your driving style, you might be facing renewal of at least two very shortly anyway. So it might make more sense to renew before the snow comes rather than after! Are all the tyres the same make and specification? They certainly should be! I'd be inclined to check out the manufacturer's specs for the tyres. Are they rated as summer, winter or all-season, for example. Tyre compound performance will vary with ambient temperature. You might also consider getting one of the new all-season tyres. Such as the MIchelin CrossClimate 2 or the Goodyear Vector 4Seasons range. There are also a number of websites devoted to reviewing, testing and evaluating tyres. It could be interesting to see if they have tested your particular tyre. For example, tyrereviews.com , autoexpress.co.uk , whattyre.com - and so on. And they might indicate the best tyre in your case. And no doubt it may also depend on your budget. But at least you're considering the possible problems; many people don't bother!

Sadly, John, I have to agree. I think it must be a generational thing. It’s a fad that plagues so much of current TV documentaries and dramas. But perhaps the rock concert accompaniment was to remind us that he once had a proper job before doing astrophysics! I also noted that the BBC effects department once again laid to rest the myth that sound doesn’t carry in space! Still, I can understand why it didn’t tackle the more fundamental questions about the origin of the Universe, although that may happen in later episodes. And I thought it perked up when he discovered photosynthesis and dwarf stars - although shouldn’t they now be ‘stars of restricted growth’? As an experiment, halfway through I turned off the sound and switched on the subtitles. That enabled me to concentrate on the script, revealing that the programme could probably have been 20 minutes shorter, and that innocent amusement can be derived from the odd typo. Finally, I was relieved to discover that if I hadn’t already had enough of the sound track, I could get a personal copy. Fortunately, I have had Fairport Convention’s ‘Unhalfbricking’ album, with Sandy Denny’s ‘Who knows where the time goes’, since it was released in 1969, so I can pass on that. And now back to more Earthly matters….

You’re too kind, John. However car electrics has never been a strong point with me. 😒 And once I discovered that injudicious prodding about could deliver a potentially fatal voltage, I felt I didn’t need to know much more! Cox-wise, I’m recording the series and haven’t yet had a chance to view it, but clearly I must now. And now I fear the worst! Of course, the real culprits may be the production team and I suspect that even the likes of Brian Cox have limited influence in that respect. I think this is because most people on the production side have an arts background rather than a science one. The other side of the coin is that comparatively few scientists are very good communicators! Sadly, the result is that if you know anything about the subject, it is irredeemably dumbed down. But hopefully if you know nothing, it may just spark an interest Apropos nothing at all, my brother-in-law has an actual degree in physics and is very dismissive of Brian Cox…

Coming across this thread rather reinforced my decision to avoid the added complexity of a hybrid when I bought my Lexus. It’s an added complication too far for me, I suspect. For example, the problems created by the apparently straightforward case of a flat battery. If I have a degree of flatness with which my trusty C-Tech trickle charger cannot cope, I have a Plan B. A NOCO battery power pack. This, it is claimed, will store sufficient power for 12 months to start the average car several times. I haven’t yet had cause to use it, but a similar power pack was used by an AA patrol to start my wife’s car after the battery was drained by someone leaving the lights on all night! (Oh alright…it was me!) Anyway, I was impressed at how effortlessly the car started, so I got one myself. Now whether there’s some reason why power packs won’t work on a hybrid, I have no idea. But if that’s not a problem, then I think that having read this thread I’d been inclined to invest in one.

Oh dear! The perils of delving into the past. For there does disappointment lie. Having been prompted to reflect on great smokes of the past, I recalled another client, Dunhill. Although I didn’t handle that side of the business, I did get staff discounts on cigars. So I looked them up to see what they offered these days. Shock, horror!! It turns out that BAT bought out the cigar side and, in 2018, decided to close it down. So that’s over a century of fine cigar making consigned to the Great Ashtray in the Sky. What a shame….

This prompted very pleasant memories of when I used to smoke cigars. (I stopped some years ago when I acquired three heart stents after an encounter with a cardiologist. I thought it was the least I could do after he’d gone to such trouble!) One of the great attractions of the King Edwards was that they were readily available at duty free shops. In the days when we visited the Greek Islands, I would take 50 out with me. Not only were they a pleasant daily smoke, but they also proved invaluable in establishing cordial relations with our preferred taverna owners, who reciprocated with copious quantities of Metaxa. Another pleasant daily smoke, as I recall, was - and probably still is - the Swiss brand Villager. Even better, but less widely available, was their half corona called Brannif. In contrast, I had one client, Rothman’s, that used to market a cigar which, as I told the CE at one meeting, presented the challenge of trying to smoke it before it had completely unravelled. Bizarrely, they would occasionally send me boxes of 25 half coronas that were really excellent but that they didn’t actually sell! Nowadays it’s not so much the cigar that I miss, but that I could use them to punctuate the day and mark some particularly satisfying moment.

It used to be said of Camel cigarettes that they were one of the few brands with a picture of the factory on the pack.

Have you checked its MOT history at gov.uk ? You might find it quite encouraging. You can also check for any recalls. As it happens, there is a recall listed for the 22nd of this month. You might want to investigate that. If it comes with full service history or has been serviced by a Lexus dealer, then you might be able to get more information on the Lexus website. If you’ve signed up to ‘My Lexus’ then the reg mark may yield more detail. You should also check the V5C log book as well. It certainly scrubs up nicely!

Sorry I can’t help with headlamp removal, Brian. Maybe someone who’s actually done it might now see this post? But I suspect that you’re right in thinking that will be the best way of finding how moisture is getting in. However, out of curiosity, I did a search for ‘Lexus IS300 headlamp condensation’ and quite a few posts on this site and the USA came up. In the post I picked out two people mention foam filters behind a flap at the top of the lamp, which had become saturated. Might be worth a check? Another thought that occurred to me is the possibility that the bulb may not be correctly located and thus not fully seated in the lamp. You don’t say if you’ve had the car from new, but I notice that some people with this problem do trace it back to what they call ‘fender damage’ which presumably means hairline cracks in the lamp after frontend impacts.

Or rather, Peter!!!! That is, replace the tyres as a pair.

It appears that British Standards stipulate that repairs can only be carried out within 3/4 of the tread area. Otherwise it can be deemed too close to the sidewall. Obviously your tyre dealer with have an opinion, but here’s what KwickFit has to say: https://www.kwik-fit.com/tyres/information/tyre-repair Or do as Brian has just suggested. 🙂