19 hours ago, R.S.C. said:

Thanks for the replies...hope I get to enjoy the car as much as you have! 

Not a huge amount of choice for the budget I was trying to stick to.....£12k-ish. Was hoping for a 300h for economy and tax but not much choice....

Options GS450 Premier 2012 107k miles, GS450h F-sport 2012 105k miles, GS300h F-sport 2013 87k miles.

Would the mileage be a put off? If I add on a Lexus warranty and continue to cover then that should be a pretty safe bet for future repair costs etc??

Thanks

 

Just my 2cents but I skipped the F-Sport (this coming from a guy who had a gs350, really wanted a 250/450h F-Sport and ended up getting a gs250)

When I drove the F-Sport, I found the suspension overly harsh with wear components (brakes, staggered tyres) a bit much of pricing

Given the general character of the car (long luxury saloon with decent handling) I think the F-sport doesn't make sense unless you pair it with a larger engine (450h). That said, drive them all (if you can) and look at the body condition, service history. Chances are one of them will jump out at you as better than the rest, GL 

IMHO, selling a vehicle with 100k+ miles is difficult. Have a think about how long you'll keep the car and how far you drive to arrive at an exit age and mileage on the vehicle. 

My 2cents, the transmissions used in the GS are usually quite robust - this makes the used gearbox route (rather than reman'ed) viable

Shop around a couple of wreckers 

Thats a very good price indeed - usually they're 140 to 150 apiece

Michelin Primacy if budget not an issue, Yokohama or Kumho if budget is an issue, UK seems to lack a variety of options in all-season tyres

Click below if you have the patience and the means 🙂

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Sport+All+Season+4

Hi all

I know it's a bit much but I am considering keeping a full-size spare in the car.

Wondering if this fits in the wheel well if I remove the styrofoam pieces

Hi all

Wondering if ppl could share recommendation / tips for UK auto cover

Me
early 40s
no claims for 8 yrs (not in UK)
off street parking

Keen to work with a provider that pay claims / doesn't force aftermarket parts

Cheers
John

Just now, m4rkw said:

Also just to add a bit more explanation of why a double drain and fill isn't necessary, although you might only get half or two thirds of the fluid out, once refilled there is then plenty of new fluid going around the unit which is enough to keep the seals pliable and lubricate sufficiently. It's the lack of clean fluid that causes damage rather than the presence of used fluid, if that makes sense.

Super helpful - possible to analysis the fluid (same way as motor oil) to see if there are issues?

Again, preventive but I tend to own vehicles for a long time

Just now, m4rkw said:

I had the same query when I got my RX with 77k on it. Advice from Toyotec was to replace the filter assembly and drain and fill once, doing it twice isn't necessary although I'm sure if you insisted it could be done. A double drain and fill is usually only necessary if the box doesn't have a replaceable filter assembly.

Thanks Mark!  How much did this cost (ballpark)?

3 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

Just doing a drain and fill will only change 1/3 of the fluid - which may be all you need to keep the fluid in good condition if you do it regularly.

I'm not sure the Lexus dealer was quoting you correctly, or they just didn't want to do it. They probably included dropping the pan and changing the filter but even then it is a couple of hours work and £150 in parts and fluid.

Thanks Colin - appreciate the feedback. Context here is the car has 85k miles with Lex FSH but no record of transmission service. Given this, my thought is to do a series of drain and fills (no flush) to dilute down the worn fluid.  Does this make sense?  

Spoke w a local Lexus deal c1100gbp to service the transmission (LOL)

Anybody have a local mechanic recommendation for W3 London?

What is the best way to power these systems?

Anybody installed the Viofo into the electricals (parasistic draw)? good idea/bad idea?

21 minutes ago, Herbie said:

I wouldn't trust Halfords to fill the windscreen washer bottle, let alone letting them loose on the electrics.

If you really can't or don't want to DIY, at least go to a proper auto electrician who will charge about £30 to £40, but don't go to Halfords (cowboys) or Lexus (well overpriced).

lol

Hi all

Happy Friday to you!  I am considering getting front/rear dashcams for the GS

Would like to hear ppl's experience / suggestions with this (installation, brand/model)

Ideally I'd like a system that can self-activate (motion, bumper bash) with SD card storage that isn't a complete eyesore

The use case is primarily for accidents/vandalism but I have no clue if this is admissable for insurance or criminal purposes

Cheers
John

Hi

I managed to secure a GS250 and would like to secure it (off-street parking / no garage)

I was looking at a Stoplock Pro 

Good / bad idea?  Any specific size / spec good for a GS?

Cheers
John

When I said service what I really meant was a drain and fill of the ATF...not sure if I was clear

5 hours ago, KUYTD said:

I've had my 2005 GS300 for about three years now, last two I've been treating wit kid gloves as I'm pretty sure the box is on its way out, my quandary has been just what I do about it. It's a lovely old best, deep green, SE spec with IS250 staggered 18's and OEM spoiler added, front end respray and is as close to mint as you'll get for 176k, I really would love o keep her for several more years.

As far as I can see from the history, there has been no fluid change on the box, I got my friendly garage to do a sump off drain, new filter and gasket that I provided and I bought about 6 liters of WS as well to top it up and for another drain at some point. I think that did improved it slightly, slipped initially but once I had cleared the ECU it did feel just a little better. Now it's not like it slips badly of misses gears now anyway, but it's obvious to me that it doesn't change as smoothly as it did, sometimes really lumping in, sometimes pics a really high gear at low speed and labors so I have to use manual for a bit. Another thing is a couple of times in reverse i has vibrated, but literally only been three times that I remember.  Lastly, and I don't know if this is even an issue, but there is a lot of heat from the car, they may just be like this but never had that from any other car.

Whenever I've looked on ebay or the like and seen cheap GS's, the only issues other than damage or poor condition have been gearbox related, so It's probably the only common issue with these. As far as I can see I have four choices.

1. Find a garage to try a fluid flush - my friendly garage here in Norwich I've used for years and trust 100% may not be able to do this, I think they need a particular machine to flush, so where would I go to do it?

2. Gearbox recon, but I'm looking at around 2.5k for that and not many places seem to do these.

3. Replacement box from a lover mileage GS or IS, get my garage to just swap them

4. The long shot! Get an AA80 from a crashed LS460, 8 speed and stronger than the A960e from what I've read, should fit in as the GS460 has it in. Would this fit up to the 3.0? Would it b as simple as fitting and swapping the trans ECU or will there be other issues.

I'm happy spannering the basics on my own car, servicing, brakes and other bits no worries, get a tech stream laptop so I can do TPMS etc, but anything to do with the trans is well out of my technical capability and would never be possible on axle stands in my drive. I'm really at a loose end here, I love my car, do very few miles but it's essential that it works reliably and I don't know anyone who knows these cars well enough for things like this in Norwich. Also I have no budget for this, anything I end up spending will have to be borrowed, so I'm keen to find a quality solution that doesn't flex my wallet. 

I know, I know, why have a car like this if you can't afford to maintain it, why spend money on something that isn't worth that much, but I love it. Suggestions, ideas, maybe a genie to grant me some wishes, what do you think?

With transmission, it can make sense to buy used and replace rather than recondition

If you love the car, you might be able to get a used tranny imported from Japan (Lexus GS = Toyota Crown / Aristo) but with import duties, installation, brain damage -- this may not be an economic choice

Have you checked the UK wreckers for a GS transmission?

Hi

Just wondering if this is a service I must do at a Lexus dealer and how much I should estimate for costing

Many thanks

John

33 minutes ago, IanA2 said:

This is the one I bought: 

AmazonBasics Silver Weatherproof Car Cover - PEVA with Cotton, Sedans up to 430 cm £27.83

Price has been reduced, I paid £36.74 earlier this year (I can never sus Amazon's pricing). It does the job and is fairly well made.

Fits my Y2K GS430 well.

 

hth.

Thanks Ian!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On 7/28/2020 at 1:27 AM, Steven Lockey said:

Ok, never knowingly had the options of different radius tyres on a car before and I need to replace all four tyres, so 
once again I come looking for wisdom!

So according to the web, these sizes fit my gs450h:

• 235/45 R17
• 245/40 R18
• 235/45 R19
• 245/35 R19
• 245/35 R20

So, I know what he numbers mean, what I don't know is what affect that will have. 

As for the radius, I assume a small radius would give better acceleration but worse fuel economy particularly at high speed.
Are there any other factors?

I assume all 4 should be the same side for standard road use?

Any specific tyre suggestions would also be appreciated. Found a few that look good for around £75 each but not sure if its worth
paying a bit more for better ones or if there are cheaper ones that are just as good.

Thanks in advance!

Try this - it let's you visualise the difference in a tyre

https://tiresize.com/comparison/

Certain size seem 'specific' to OEM specs and unfortunately seems to cost more

You can vary size a bit but you will effectively gain or lose sidewall. 

Try 225/50 17 vs 235/45 17 if you want an example of what I'm taking about

3 hours ago, IanA2 said:

I paid someone to fix a leaking sunroof, they didn't. As we've been shielding (for a long time) it's not been possible to get it fixed so bought a breathable cover from Amazon. Inexpensive with a cotton lining, it does what it says on the tin 🙂

how cheap is cheap?  I used the google and everything was 100gbp+

Hi all

I finally managed to secure a nice 2012 GS250 and I would like to look after it

I have offstreet parking but no garage -- was thinking of getting a car cover for it

Good idea / bad idea?  Guessing the damp over time would turn it into a moldfest - but set me straight

Cheers

15 minutes ago, Mihanicos said:

According to the Lexus Maintenance schedule, for the GS 450h GWS 191,  the transmission fluid, for normal conditions, must be changed at 54000 miles or 72 months whichever comes first. For severe conditions, it must be changed every 36 months.

It is of critical importance to change the transmission fluid strictly in accordance with the maintenance schedule because its purpose is to lubricate and cool the moving parts but at the same it must insulate the windings of the motors within it. As the fluid quality deteriorates with time and use, a high voltage flashover within the motors and the transmission case cannot be excluded rendering the transmission useless. Mechanics in general simply cannot see, understand or appreciate the electrical side of these transmissions and the consequences thereto.

Chris.

Thanks Chris, I don't enjoy the danger element of used car purchases (lol)

Cant see it in the service records - looks like it was taken to Lexus every 10k miles though 

Is the transmission part of the 'normal' service regime?

Hi all

First, thanks for all the helpful advice from the forum - it's much appreciated!

So it's been a mission to find a GS (originally an RX) as the cars are never close and asking prices from dealers seem high given the book values. That said, I've found a 2012 with 90k miles but it's a private party sale so little/no recourse

Just looking for things to look for during the test drive. What I've learned so far - full Lexus service history, tyres ok not great, some marks on interior and a respray of the rear bumper

Cheers

John

Hi all

First, thanks for all the help!  It's been a mission to find a GS IMHO as fairly priced ones go quick and dealers have been stubborn on price points (I would think auto cars would be under pressure right now) on what I've learned are rare cars. 

To my question, lots of the used 250 and 450h's seem to come from Scotland, Northern England and I am seeing a lot of surface rust (undercarriage/suspension). Is this a longer-term issue on resale?

Also, I'd like some feedback from London-based owners as the fit of the GS body shape with parking, city life etc

I am accepting a certain amount of wear and tear but I just need some opinions as to whether the GS is size-appropriate for city living - Zone 3, W3

Cheers
J