LenT

This was the problem I had with my Lexus - Michelins not available in one of the sizes. But as it happened Goodyear had just launched their Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 in both sizes. Depending on which tyre reviews you read, these are at least as efficient - if not superior- to the Michelins as an all-weather tyre. I’ve certainly found them to be excellent performers, especially in the wet. Also distinctly quieter and better riding than the originals I got it with …Yokohamas I believe.

I agree with that. I did 90K miles in a Toyota MR2 and it was just on its third set of Michelins. I would have had Michelin CrossClimates on the Lexus but Michelin only did one of the two sizes it needed. Fitted them to our Suzuki 4x4 but too soon to judge wear rate, but far better wet road performance and quieter than the standard issue. incidentally, if you’re a Costco member, they often run discount offers on Michelins.

As Steve suggests, I would be inclined to find a good local body shop and get an estimate from them. So preempt the engineer’s inspection. I would be astonished if the damage that’s apparent actually renders the vehicle a write-off. It’s possible that the bumper cover is repairable anyway. And as Steve points out, you could always offer to source parts - such as the light cluster - from Lexus yourself. I don’t think you’ve mentioned what the insured value actually is.

Interestingly (or possibly not, depending on your view of him) I see that this Sunday Jeremy Clarkson quoted a stat from a 2020 Institute of Advanced Motorists survey which found that a touchscreen can delay a motorist’s response by as much as 57 percent. Presumably that’s a delayed response to a road emergency, for example. ☹️

Was it worth it? I ask because I agree with Alan’s post above. My Garmin is far superior to the Lexus sat/nav that I have. In fact I’m not even sure the Lexus one can now even be updated. At best I believe it was biennial and updating cost about the same as a complete and superior Garmin system which came with a lifetime of four free annual updates! It’s also very easy to turn off while driving- something I never managed to master with the Lexus system.

You’re right again, John. Corvair and definitely not Corsair. I’ve just looked it up to remind myself…which is probably what I should have done in the first place! 🤭

Spot on, John. ’Unsafe at any speed’ - written in 1965, and still relevant, it was a best seller and an Industry game changer. Probably best known for its criticism of the Corsair and the tendency of its swing axle suspension to tuck under in extreme driving conditions. A characteristic, incidentally, that it shared with the similarly equipped Triumph Herald!

And who could possibly disagree with that? But as with the real life example I just gave in the post above, the lack of proper control is only demonstrated after the accident! As I noted, steering wheel mounted controls at least provide a less distracting method of control. But my Lexus, in common with probably all modern cars, still provides many opportunities to look away from the road while searching for a particular button. You could argue that, in that respect, automatics are safer than a manual change - although I doubt any of us can even remember the last time we had to look at the gear lever while driving! But where does one draw the line? Does getting immersed in a piece of music, or involved in a radio drama, or infuriated by some news or a hands-free telephone call - or even talking to a passenger- count as a distraction? Well probably only if you have an accident while engaged in doing it. How many tv documentaries have you seen that involve the driver being filmed while talking to the camera? I’ve often wondered how many out-takes there are of near misses as the driver turns to look back at the road? There’s probably a good documentary to be made about that!

I agree entirely with the sentiment but is there ANY modern car that doesn’t offer its driver these potentially fatal distractions? At the start of my Lexus Navigation Manual, a warning paragraph emphasises the danger of operating controls that distract from driving. But if Lexus was serious about this, then surely - to take one example - what it refers to as the Touch Control Knob would be inoperable if the car was in motion and no passenger detected? How it can be operated without it being a distraction I don’t know. And yet if it’s capable of being used by the driver while on the move, I’m sure some drivers will! But I also agree with you about buttons. When I first sat in the car I thought the touch sensitive heating controls were…well, a nice touch. But now I realise that I have to look down to locate and operate the correct position on the control strip. A simple, physical slide that can be located by feel and physically moved in the appropriate direction would be lower in tech but greater in safety! Button-wise, the steering wheel mounted controls are a better compromise. One piece of Patrol Car footage I particularly remember featured a small saloon being driven up a slight incline and slowly drifting into the path of an oncoming HGV. The saloon driver, having survived, explained she’d only looked down for an instant to adjust the radio!

I'm not surprised that you're confused. I think he actually meant The People's Front of Judea.

STAAAAARRP!!! Just a thought….😊

Vaseline was good enough for us old timers! But anti seize sounds about right. Or even copper grease, I believe. It’s to stop the galvanic corrosion that can occur when two different metals come into contact. Still you’ve caught it just in time. 😊

Just a small point…I’d be inclined to ensure that the valve caps - or dust caps - are plastic and not metal. Metal ones have a tendency to corrode on to the valve stem. This leads to the valve snapping off when an attempt is made to remove the dust cap, leading, in my case, to the replacement of the TPMS valve. All because the previous owner had put one metal cap on a valve. But then I expect you probably already know this?

My apologies, Frank. Now you’ve added ‘5.0 V8’ I realise I was barking up the wrong IS-F. So you’re actually looking for the one sold between 2008 - 2012!! Well as I demonstrated, I know nothing about them at all - apart from the reviews I’ve just read. Good luck with your search.

I presume you are the same FrankC from Antrim who posted the same question yesterday? I see I was the only one to answer and pointed out that carwow had eight ISFs listed. Maybe I misunderstood the model you’re after? If they didn’t suit it might help other posters to refine their suggestions if you can more clearly explain what you’re looking for?

Doh! That’s auto electrics for you! Always check the simplest - and usually least obvious- possible cause first! A timely lesson for all.

https://quotes.carwow.co.uk/stock_cars?budget=0%2C150000&make_slug=Lexus&model_slug=IS&stock_type=used&pagination[current_page]=3&pagination[per_page]=12&sort_order[key]=distance&sort_order[direction]=asc carwow seems to have eight currently listed. But of course you don’t mention your budget. Still, probably worth a look just to get a feel for the market.

Spot on, Graham. These Inflation Kits can cause more problems than they resolve. A SpaceSaver is the way to go. On a belt-and-braces principle I also fitted Run Flats. If punctured they have the same performance limitations as a SpaceSaver but at least you don’t have to change the wheel. However, even if you were prepared to use a repaired Run Flat tyre (I’m not keen) most tyre repairers won’t touch them on the grounds that they can’t know the conditions under which it has been driven.

I bought an MP3 player, loaded music files on to it from my desktop and it stays plugged in to one of the USB ports in the bin between the front seats. It has no batteries as it’s powered via the USB port. So no worries there! You can also use an iPod, I believe. It’s all controlled by the regular audio system. As for selecting tracks, you could just load your CDs on to it and select them with the steering wheel buttons. The track info pops up in the media. screen. At least, all this is what happens in mine! 🙂

Yes, indeed Paul. I found this very enlightening. Just go to the Lexus site and register in the ‘My Lexus’ section. Apart from getting online versions of the relevant manuals, you do indeed see a record of the vehicle’s service history. However, I suspect that this service record database is only available to Lexus dealers. So any work done outside of the dealer network may not have been recorded in it. Just my guess, but I would not have thought non-franchises would be permitted access to the database.

Having once had what I still fondly think of as ‘a career’ writing stuff, I recognise a great deal of truth in what you say. It was sometimes my lot to interview scientists / engineers - or turn their technical papers into recognisable English - in order to enable Companies to communicate with their customers. The problem often was - and probably still is - that the authors omitted the stunningly obvious parts of an explanation; slightly different terms would be used in an organisation for the same parts or processes and, as you imply, no-one had the responsibility internally to organise and edit ruthlessly the accumulation of words. It constantly surprised me that major international companies needed someone else to do it for them. On the other hand, it paid for a few good lunches.

Ideally, maybe. But my Lexus came with two Manuals totalling over 1000 pages. And they refer just to operating and basic maintenance, not repair. Maybe that’s as short a guide as they could manage? Despite that, I’ve encountered elements that were ambiguous or not explained at all. Often the solution to owners’ problems are so obscure, hidden - or even absent - that owners find it much easier to ask knowledgeable contributors on this site rather than tackle the Manuals. And yet these are products that while ‘not made perfect’ are better than the average. Quite how you’d write a short guide for something as complex as a car, I don’t know. Although it is interesting that very often sophisticated and expensive electronic equipment just comes with a simple ‘get you started’ leaflet, normally supported by online guides.

Very true, John. As long as a claim doesn’t leave a bad taste…🙂

You’re obviously satisfied with your detailer’s visits, Rowley. Do you get the full snow foam, two-bucket treatment? Did you have any ceramic finishes applied in the first instance? I presume you supply power and water. How long does it take? I ask because I had a full detailing a little while ago, but didn’t really appreciate it spelt the end of quick trips to the local car wash! I too didn’t think I’d be back car washing ‘at my time of life’ - although I don’t mind it at the moment, but a mobile service sounds a good option.

I still have two thirds of a Service Plan to run, but I did tale a look today at the T&Cs on the Lexus site. The list of exclusions is so long - and the qualifications so extensive - that I became unclear as to what was actually covered! Still, I expect it will all become clear by the time it becomes relevant.