LenT

Even finer would be a touch of toothpaste (not gel) on the tip of a cotton bud. It looks like it’s mainly a scuff on the clear coat which the fine abrasive particles in the toothpaste may remove. The final touch would be to reapply the clear coat and flatten that down again. Apart from that, there are proprietary products that claim to be scratch removers that probably fill the shelves at Halfords, but I’ve never used them!

Probably, but I always feel that’s simply putting off another potential failure. If you want to go that route, then a reconditioned unit by a reputable company may be preferable. It probably will be large but it should at least be the correct item and covered by a warranty that you can be confident will be honoured. At the very least, getting a quote will enable you to make a valid comparison with the RAC. However, it may well be that the convenience of the RAC Home Service will be the deciding factor for you.

They’ve always been a necessity! I’m surprised that new cars aren’t being fitted with them - in much the same way satnavs and radios are. The first consideration is how much you are prepared to spend. I’ve had BlackVue cameras almost since they were launched. One attraction being that they are designed and manufactured in South Korea, now very much a centre of excellence for this type of technology - and in my mind far more preferable to anything from China! I also prefer the minimal cylindrical style which hides in front of the rear view mirror. I’m not keen on the type with the screen that intrude on my vision as they have to be positioned so that the screen is viewable. Nevertheless, there are excellent alternatives to the BV if those things don’t bother you. My main recommendations are to install a two-camera system, have it wired so that it will switch to standby mode when the ignition is off, install the biggest Memory Card the system will take and keep the smaller supplied card as a spare to switch in the event of an incident - thus preserving the evidence! Oh, and buy a pair of polarising filters if available. They do make a difference. You don’t mention if you planned to install it yourself. If you’re not comfortable with car electrics, I’d recommend a good local auto electrician who’s doing it on a regular basis, rather than a dealer or garage mechanic who only installs them occasionally. Whatever you choose, it will be a great advance on not having one! You only need to be involved in one accident for it to have paid for itself!

Too late! 🤣🤣🤣

Short of adding security posts in front of the garage doors, this is a very good start - provided you make a point of putting the car away every time! Thieves generally target the cars they see parked around the neighbourhood. Or maybe follow them when spotted in car parks. So reducing its visibility is clearly beneficial and I would have thought warranted a reduced premium. But of course cars are also stolen when away from home, when you’re out shopping or having a meal. Then you need the layered protection as you’ve already suggested - a Disklok for the steering wheel, Ghost Tracker (or similar) and a Dashcam that will warn you if an attempt is made to gain entry or move the car. You might also consider a Home Security system such as Eufy cameras. For one thing, you may want to monitor who’s knocking on the door before you open it. Breaking in to get the keys may be the only course left for the determined thief! Only by contacting insurers directly will you really be able to find out if they recognise the reduced risk these arrangements offer. Sadly I don’t think that many do. I think that much of the increase in Premiums is as much due to the inflated costs of repair work that is more easily caused by accident damage that then leads to a write off, then outright theft.

My admiration knows no bounds, Bob! 👍

I remember watching a YT video of someone breaking open a TPMS valve to replace the battery….and there was nothing simple about it! As I recall…once you managed to break open the valve, it revealed that the battery itself was wired in and encased in a thick, white gunge- the purpose of which was to insulate the battery and valve interior from road shocks and moisture.. Considering that you wouldn’t know if you’d been successful until you’d refitted the valve and tyre - at which point you might end up buying a replacement anyway - I suddenly remembered some drying paint that I had to go and watch! But don’t let me put anyone off!

Do you have a good tyre retailer nearby? It may be worthwhile giving them a call to see if they will check these valves out - for a small fee - despite not actually supplying them. Fitting TPMS valves is something they’ll be doing on a regular basis, as opposed to a normal garage.

Anderson, I’m sure everyone has every sympathy for you as a victim of car theft. But Paul’s question is an interesting one and any further detail you can offer may well help other owners. I’ve had Diskloks and currently a Milenco steering wheel lock. While it’s true that none of my cars were even targeted with these locks on - it’s also true that none of my cars without them were targeted either! So knowing what precautions an actual thief had to overcome would be useful. Was the glass security etched? Did you have any Immobiliser fitted? You also say it was early morning. How do you know this? Did the alarm sound? Was it parked in a drive or on the road? Was the remote unlocking system active or deactivated? Were the keys in a Faraday pouch? I don’t mean this to sound like a cross examination, but the north London I left as a child nearly 70 years ago was one where you could leave your front door unlocked - let alone your car! These days I would hesitate to even park in the street where I grew up. Mind you, back then I don’t think many people had a car worth stealing! 😊

Not quite sure why Ian’s been generally jumped on for expressing this opinion. Surely he may well regard a 12% increase as being ‘reasonable’ because: a. It’s not a huge hike relative to previous increases. b. It’s not exorbitant relative to the annual mileage he does. c. It’s commensurate with the perceived luxury of the vehicle he likes to drive. d. He can afford it! I expect he would prefer it to be less, but his pragmatic approach no doubt suits him better than feeling he has to switch to a less appealing car in a lower insurance group, for example.

As it happens, this was one of the features that attracted me to Eufy! The storage is subscription-free and occurs on mini SD Cards in the HomeBase and certain cameras. So it’s expandable and totally under your own control. I think files can also go to Cloud Storage but I don’t bother with that. I have two excellent door bell cameras - both battery powered but they could be hardwired; one of which has itself two cameras to record anything left on (or pinched off!) the doorstep. Two external cameras are both solar powered - which works surprisingly well and I’ve only had to use the usb cable connection perhaps once a year - but then I do have them on a usage profile that will ensure the maximum battery consumption. I would also add that eufy service has been generally excellent. They respond rapidly to queries and if you enjoy receiving a bit of fulsome gushing, you’ll not be disappointed! Costco sells a lot of eufy systems if you’re a Member - and as I recall, that means you get the Two Year warranty as well - but check that first!

I can’t help you with Blink, Brent. I only have experience of Eufy.

Many thanks Herbie. I hope that has clarified the situation for others as effectively as it has for myself! 😊

In 60 years of motoring, I’ve probably had more Michelins than any other brand. We have the original CrossClimates on our other car - a small 4x4 - and I would have had them on the Lexus, but at the time they didn’t offer one of the two sizes it required. I believe they may now do so, in which case I may even replace the otherwise excellent Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric, which I got instead, with the latest version of the CrossClimate if they wear down enough! Of course it all depends on your style of driving. For me, it’s the excellent wet weather performance that’s the priority. Low noise levels and a comfortable ride are also attractive features, but fuel consumption and mileage are less important - although I’ve always got quite high mileages out of Michelins before needing to replace them, which I normally do at 3mm of tread.

I understand that’s correct, Ken. I’m not really familiar with hybrid electrics! I was really only responding to earlier comments about how long a 12v battery takes to fully discharge. But you raise an interesting point. In a hybrid, how critical is the actual 12v battery charge? Can it reduce to a level where it cannot power the electrics effectively? And will that affect the ICE - I don’t know enough about hybrids to know. 🙁 For example, what level does the hybrid battery have to reduce to before it fails to crank the engine? Presumably, the hybrid battery is not exposed to the same problem of parasitic drain?

Excellent Herbs. But if I’ve understood you correctly, that’s the theoretical time to full discharge. It will fail to start an ICE long before that. There seems to be a range of opinions on the matter, but the consensus seems to be that a healthy 12v engine needs a battery level between 12.2v - 12.8v to ensure reliable starting. Below 11.8v and starting starts to get difficult. Below 10.8v and it will generally be impossible.

I’d certainly agree with that, Brent. Of course although you only noticed it when parked outside your house, it could have been prised off elsewhere. But that’s obviously more difficult to control. If you think your car is likely to be a target, do you have - or would you consider - installing security cameras to cover your home parking area? I have a very effective eufy system that ensures it’s impossible for anyone to even approach our cars without activating camera, lights and warnings!

The fact that you haven’t had any issues is no guarantee that you won’t! There are so many variables that will influence battery efficiency- Its age, average journey times, recharge rate, ambient temperatures, general engine condition - all in addition to normal parasitic drain. Clearly, more modern cars with more efficient systems and newer batteries are more likely to retain a usable charge for longer. But even those cars might benefit from the occasional use of a good trickle charger- such as a CTEK - to maintain battery condition. I agree. I carry a NOCO Power Pack in the same way that I used to carry jump leads. I haven’t needed it yet to start the Lexus, but it has proved its worth by getting other car owners out of trouble. A battery-powered tyre inflator also lives in the boot - just in case! These are the kind of accessories that I would rather have and not need, then need and not have!

Welcome Big Kev! Or presumably ‘Not Quite So Big Kev.’ Which can only be a good thing after a stroke - which is not a pleasant experience. So…glad to hear that your health is improving and you’re looking forward to enjoying your new Lexus. Seems like you have the right attitude to the odd ding, too. As Paul said, we’ve all been there. You don’t want to get too stressed over it as it’s not as important as your health. The first week with my Lexus I kerbed a couple of the low profile alloys. But we’ve got on fine together since then. 😊

Glad to hear it’s all sorted, Richard. If they’d been Lexus OEM parts you might still have had to go through the time spent on the reset process. I had the same problem when I replaced a set of tyres. On the other hand, when I had to replace just one - broken by a well-meaning passerby trying to get a seized dust cap off! - a nearby tyre retailer was able to replace it with a stock valve that worked perfectly. It’s a useful system but it does have its idiosyncrasies - the least of which is ‘playing ‘Hunt the Button’. 😊

You’re quite right that it would not have popped open on its own! Can you see any faint marks or scratches around the edge of the opening where it would have been prised off? It’s unlikely a thief would have bothered with the Lexus advice to wrap a rag around a screwdriver blade! So it may well be that a prospective car thief was looking to tow it away, especially if they thought they had to tackle any visible - or invisible - security devices. Was it parked where such an attempt might have been possible? Alternatively, maybe someone was looking to replace a Lexus towing point cover which had been removed by someone looking to tow away a Lexus. Or maybe building their own RC300 piece by piece? 🤔

It’s called parasitic draw (or drain). There are many systems in a car that require a constant current to keep them activated. The most obvious one is the clock! And then there’s the dashcam in standby mode. But modern cars are mobile computers and require an array of constantly powered chips to maintain their functionality. Apart from which, batteries tend to loose current over time anyway. Solar chargers can be a very effective way of maintaining battery current levels. Here’s how one auto battery maker describes parasitic drain: “Typically, the normal amount of parasitic draw is between 50 and 85 milliamps in newer cars and less than 50 milliamps for older cars.” “A parasitic draw above this threshold is considered excessive and can eventually stress the battery and shorten its life.”

A good quality dashcam front and rear. It only has to provide supporting evidence for a claim once - and it will have paid for itself many times over. Then take your pick from an escalating range of security devices. But at least have a very visible and substantial steering wheel lock - such as a DiskLok or a Milenco.

It’s a worldwide problem. Even the American Lexus Owners site is full of owners who can’t find that button! It must be Japanese sense of humour…😊 Equally problematic are the recommended ways of resetting it. Here’s the official version, but driving the car for a while at speeds of over 50mph are also suggested. Presumably the tyres get hot enough to expand and increase the internal pressure, which helps to reset the valve when it’s next turned on. “Turn the vehicle’s ignition to “on” without starting the engine; hold the TPMS reset button until the light flashes three times and release the button. Start the car and give it about 20 minutes—the warning light should disappear.”

Check the fuse that powers the starter motor. There are two fuse boxes - one in the engine compartment and one in the passenger footwell as I recall!). The fuses are identified inside the covers, unfortunately I can’t recall where this particular fuse is. Failing that - do you belong to the AA / RAC or similar?