LenT

How likely is it, Steve, that it's a bird lime stain? Is it a problem that you have anyway where you park it? Has it expanded since you first noticed it? Because that isn't going to happen with bird lime. It's as likely to be a problem with the clear top coat and as that is a warranty matter I'd be inclined to take action against the Dealer. For example, send a Registered letter to the CEO/ Owner of the dealership with your photos, challenging their decision and diagnosis. Suggest that this was actually an inherent fault when they sold the car. You could suggest that you will take it to an independent car paint specialist - or any motoring organisation of which you are a member - for examination. Or rectification. And you will expect them to cover any additional costs if it proves to be warrantable claim.

If that's the case and not simply an oversight, then I'm astonished! It's no excuse to say ' well you can read it online'. I can imagine many circumstances when online access may fail you, or you may not have a laptop/smart phone with you - but what you may have is an emergency. Surely keeping the manual in the 'glove box' (and when was the last time you put your gloves in it?) is almost as old as motoring. My manual is in two volumes and totals 1100 pages. I have downloaded a digital version, but it's the hardback version that I rely on in the car. Mind you, I used to have a major camera company as a client. The camera's manual was over 400 pages and in several languages and came on a cd disc because they were saving the cost of printing multiple versions. I often thought how useful it would be if you had a camera glitch while out in the countryside photographing wild life!

Doh! 🙂

It is possible - and I would put it no stronger than that - that there’s more than one cause operating here. The presence of yellow debris may not be related to tiny areas of bare metal. Possible causes could include airborne pollution (we had a local deposit of Sahara sand recently!); and mechanical damage by such as a car wash. Either way, I think you’re better going to a paint shop than a dealer, as has already been suggested. Dealers invariably go to such specialist services themselves, rather than doing it in-house. Another option might be to get the opinion of a good Detailer if you have one nearby. After all, rectifying paint damage is something of an obsession to them!

And another thing…. 😀 Actually this page from the BlackVue site explains parking mode in more detail. https://blackvue.com/need-know-blackvue-parking-mode-dash-cameras/

Yes, as Kevin points out, the Nextbase system may have other similar features. I can only speak for BlackVue. However, if you wander over to the BlackVue.com site, their home page has several examples of cameras in parked cars doing their thing. Should clarify matters for you. Good luck.

Not stupid at all Pete. if you look back to the first page, my third post mentions, and links to, the BlackVue Power Magic Pro. Later on Herbs adds some very useful detail. This unit can be switched on or off. It connects the camera supply to a permanently live supply via the fuse box. When switched on, it becomes ‘active’ when the ignition is switched off. It puts the camera into its ‘standby’ mode in which it is consuming minimal current but ready to start recording the instant it detects either motion - back or front in your case - or physical movement, such as a bump or someone getting into the car. This latter depends on the g-force settings of the camera. The unit is set to a predetermined level of your choice, so that should the battery charge fall below this level, it will no longer power up the camera in order to protect the battery. A real life situation is: You’ve parked in a car park to go shopping. While you’re away a car drives in front of yours. The camera now switches from standby to live recording mode, having been activated by the motion in front or behind. If nothing occurs, the camera switches off and the power supply reverts to standby. If it clouts your front wing, the camera starts recording the impact, but because it was In standby mode, it will also record the vital few seconds prior to the actual impact. if someone tries to get into the car and rocks it sufficiently to activate the sensors, again the camera can power up to record until the motion ceases. As I say, this is a BlackVue unit but I see no reason why an auto electrician can’t connect it to your Nextbase. I’ve looked on the Nextbase site but can’t see a similar unit - although I may have missed it. What Nextbase does have is an alternative system which is a separate battery which is charged by the car systems and provides a fixed supply to the camera independent of the ignition setting. You might find this option more attractive, especially as it’s a Nextbase accessory. I hope this has clarified it for you.

I’m sure you’ll be delighted - it looks a neat bit of kit. I’m a great advocate of dashcams as they’ve proved their worth to me. Being nosey, I just wondered what else you’d decided. I see it has a rear camera, which is good. But are you getting it wired up to record with the ignition off? When parked up, it’s the only way to catch those hit-and-run merchants. You’ve not mentioned how familiar you are with these systems, so you might have your own views, but it probably comes with a 16GB SD Card. I would be inclined to buy the biggest SD Card that you can afford and keep the supplied SD Card as a spare. Apart from the extra capacity it means you’ll get more video files before the system starts to overwrite the older files. It also gives you a spare should you be involved in an incident. It means you can remove the evidence containing SD Card and keep it secure while still having a working camera. Finally, as no doubt the Manual will tell you, you have to reformat the SD Card regularly, depending on usage, not only to avoid it filling up but also because constant rewriting of files invariably introduces errors.

This reminded me of a very pleasant summer’s day lunch at the Aviator, during which we were treated to a display by the Blades. I don’t know if it’s a regular lunchtime entertainment but it’s certainly not something you usually get with a meal. I also used to clay shoot at Sywell and although obviously well out of range, it was a good test of concentration when, having called for a target, you suddenly had an aircraft appear on the same flight line.

Well I don’t know how different your CT 200h on 17” wheels would be to my IS 250 on 18” wheels, but the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5s that I replaced the original Yokos with are far superior in terms of noise level, ride comfort and road holding in both wet and dry conditions. I also originally considered Michelin CrossClimate + but they don’t do them in one of the two sizes my wheels require. But I’d also be interested to learn what a CT owner might think of these two tyres.

That explains it, Alan. I always thought that Sunblest loaves of the period seemed to come with an extra crunch. 🙂

If by ‘ignition switched’ you mean a power supply that’s only live when the ignition is on, is that the best way to use a dashcam? Mine is still powered when the ignition is off. This means it will record hits while parked, for example. To ensure that it cannot flatten the battery, it’s supplied via a small unit that monitors the battery voltage level and protects it by disconnecting the camera should it fall below a pre-set level. Mine is actually a BlackVue unit but I’m sure it will work with any camera. You just have to find a permanently live supply in the fuse panel. https://www.blackvue.co.uk/product/power-magic-pro/

Just passing so I thought I’d pop in to mention how well my car’s running. 🙂

You took me back nearly fifty years Colin, to when I first got that advice! I had two Uncles who ran a ‘Under the Arches’ type auto shop and from whom I’d bought my first car. Driving one of them around, I tried to impress with my driving skills by double-declutching on the approach to some lights. ‘“What was that about!” he inquired. He interrupted my explanation of the subtleties of gear box control by pointing out that brake shoes were a lot cheaper to replace than clutch plates. I don’t think I ever did it again. However, my Lexus manual does describe how long hill descents are better controlled by moving from the auto mode by using the paddles to select a lower gear. It’s not something I have yet had the opportunity to try. I’d hate to discover that it can go badly wrong.

I’m clearly out of step in that regard, Herbs. I’ve never been that focussed. Every car I’ve had - and there have been a few - has been the result of chance encounters. I certainly don’t have the dedication - or probably the automotive knowledge - to travel 250 miles to inspect a specific example. So I’ve undoubtedly been fortunate that they’ve all been good buys and an interesting mix. The Lexus Is a good example. I didn’t even know there was a Lexus dealer in MK. I was on my way to look for Mercs, Audi, BMW and the like. I just popped in, never having even driven Lexus before or being aware of the model range. Told the sales rep I wanted to replace a Honda Accord and he showed me the IS 250. I drove it, did the tour of the other marques, and returned to put a deposit on the Lexus. So basically I’m the very last person to dole out car buying advice! And, to bring this back on topic, I didn’t worry about the head lamp washers because I never knew it had them! Oh, just to add - it’s been a delight to own and drive.

I see that’s the first time you’ve mentioned that! Of course that raises other questions. The first of which is ‘why’? Mind you, it doesn’t get you any nearer to solving the problem - unless a nearer Dealer is the answer?

Drat. Another illusion shattered.

Non-working lamp washers can affect the MOT test on vehicles registered after 1st September 2009. It can be classed as a Minor fail for regular bulbs, but as a Major fail for LED and HID lamps. So another reason for getting back to the dealer if this is a fault that has occurred since the vehicle has been in their possession.

A good point, Pete - and I AM sure it’s not a good place! But there’s something that worries me even more. The emphasis on sheer volume - and even a mention of the use of headphones - seems to ignore the requirement for a driver to be constantly aware of their surroundings. And that surely includes traffic noise being generated outside the car, such as sirens, for example. Neither do I really believe that subjecting yourself to auditory overload is conducive to maintaining the awareness levels that modern driving conditions - and speeds - really demand. Call me old-fashioned (!) if you will, but if you have the need to immerse yourself in high quality - or simply loud - musical sound, it’s better done in the relative safety of a stationary chair at home and not while piloting a tonne and a half of metal through traffic.

It’s possible that it’s the particular shape of the NextBase dashcam case promoted by Lexus that’s the problem. In which case fit a BlackVue - with a rear camera too. (nb. Other dashcams are available, I believe.)

So far I’ve had the same local auto electrician fit four systems to three cars - all very successfully. Along with ICE, phone systems and sensors, it’s what he does every day. Frankly I’d rely on his expertise probably more than a dealer’s electrician who does them occasionally. Although to be fair, it’s one of the less challenging accessories to add in terms of auto work! I’ve always bought the hardware and he just gives me a fitting cost. So you could buy the Lexus supported system, which seems neat enough, and get a fitting estimate from a comparable local fitter. I do appreciate that you are concerned that this specific mount might not physically fit in the space available. But I’d agree with Herbs, it’s pretty unlikely that there’s a dashcam that can’t be fitted in to a specific car.

As if that isn’t bad enough, I also had Mrs T having a shouting match with the girl in the machine!

Thinking back over this thread, Kish, I felt there may be one point that I for one may have missed. It's not been mentioned, so forgive me if you've already considered it. Namely, while you've been worried about tread depth, arguably a more important point is tread wear ACROSS the tyre. Uneven wear across the tread can be indicative of several problems. If it's greater on one side than the other, that can be indicative of a tracking problem. You might find the car has been pulling to one side, for example. If it's different in the centre then that can suggest over or under inflation. And of course each wheel could have a different problem. Just something to look for during an inspection! 🙂

At 5mm and 6mm the tyres are well within their efficient operating range. I replace mine at 3mm, a depth most tyre makers recommend. In terms of age they should be fine too. But they should be inspected at a proper dealer service in any case, for any tread or sidewall damage. On balance there’s probably no cause for concern - or even rotation. As has been mentioned, some folk maintain that it only means all four have to be replaced at the same time. As it happens, I don’t rotate but I do replace all four, but I’ve never experienced dramatic tread depth differences. Still. I would never criticise anyone for being cautious about their tyres!

As it happens, neither have I. Mind you, that doesn’t mean that perhaps I should have done so! However, I’ve always been fortunate enough, maybe, to buy new when needed.