Notamech
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Notamech last won the day on July 6
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About Notamech
Profile Information
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First Name
Not a mechanic
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Lexus Model
GS300h
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Year of Lexus
2017
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UK/Ireland Location
Greater London
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Interests
General Automotive
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Notamech's Achievements
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If its just 1 wheel. It might be worth the risk buying on ebay and then having it refurbed. Also accelera are known ditch finders. I wouldn't be surprised if your vibration is actually caused by the tyres. A few moons ago i had an e class which had a vibration at speed no amount of balancing helped. In the end it turned out that the brand new accelera tyres that were on there (installed by the dealer that sold me the car) were out of round. Changed the tyres and it sorted the issue right away. Might be worth trying that first if you plan to get new tyres anyway.
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Forcing the car to stay idlng
Notamech replied to rado16v's topic in Lexus NX300h / NX200t / NX350h / NX450h+ Club
It doesn't matter. Even if the engine is off the car will do its job of getting the cabin up to the temperature you set it to. If it deems necessary it will turn on the engine by itself. The car is designed to function with the engine cutting out when it is not required. If you somehow forced the engine to continuously be on it would only be wasteful. -
Ok it just sounds like your car was not maintained very well. While headgaskets are a problem on these engines they dont fail very commonly in the UK more in the US. Try getting the intake + egr + injector cleaner + plugs replaced and see if that helps. Top up your coolant and observe if its going low frequently first before investing in other solutions. If so then you probably have a head gasket problem. Also check for brown mayo under the oil filler cap this is the most common symptom of a bad headgasket. As far as your heating not working it sounds like your servo motors have failed its the motors that control the flaps inside the ac ducting that directs air to the different vents. Sounds like it is stuck closed for the main vents. But as you are getting heat on the passenger side i think the heater matrix still works and no smell of coolant indicates that you dont have leaks.
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Let's talk Brake Pads - Low Dust
Notamech replied to jeffrosie6's topic in Lexus F Club - Lexus IS-F / GS-F / RC-F Club
Agree with EBC. Upgraded to EBC ultimax which are their oem replacement series on my IS and the brake dust was significantly reduced. Before after few uses the wheels had lots of black dust. I went months without them turning black after the upgrade. Couldn't tell much of a difference in braking quality as mine is a hybrid. -
Aliexpress stuff that worked out well
Notamech replied to Mr_Groundhog's topic in Lexus IS 300h / IS 250 / IS 200t Club
Here are pics of keyfob covers i bought on ali express. The green one is a rubbery plasticky material that looks like alcantara but isnt and cost me around £4. The grey one is alcantara looks and feels premium and cost £11 but no logo on the front. -
What did they advise of fuel injection? Was it to use a cleaner? If so i personally think its good practice every once in a while to do it. Lexus do sell something for around £10 or something maybe give it a go. Also consider switching fuel stations or using premium fuel for the next couple of fills to see if it makes a difference. Check to see that the air filter is also clean. These are basic things that sometimes the previous owner may have neglegted to do or they didn't maintain the car properly.
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Can you elaborate a bit more on what you mean exactly when you say rough idle? Hybrids when cold can run lean deliberately in order to get up to temperature fast. It might feel like the engine is going to stall but doesnt. If it does this always i.e even when the engine is warm then id check to see if the spark plugs were replaced at 60k as they should be. If not it could be that the plugs need replacing. Also top up your coolant and see if it drops again over the next few days.
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They do drive quite similar but the IS did feel a bit quicker to me also the IS was more compact, agile and had a sportier drive overall e.g i could throw it around a bend and it was very predictable and confidence inspiring also on roundabouts it was quick and this is in normal mode. In sports mode it was even quicker. I have a GS premier with adaptive suspension and in normal mode it rides soft you dont feel like throwing it around bends also im a bit more cautious at roundabouts as it feels big and a bit slower than the IS. In sports mode though it does feel very similar to the IS with regards to handling. The main issue i had with the IS was that i found it to be a bit low on cabin space which is a bit of an issue if you ferry around your family. The GS is a bit more spacious not as good as a german equivalent but acceptable to me. Where the GS wins for me is it feels like a luxury car the overall interior experience is far more luxurious than the IS. And the best part is it is still the same reliable drive train that i grew familiar with when owning the IS. Ofcourse all of the above is just my opinion and experience. I recommend test driving both before deciding which one is for you. Either way it should provide many years of trouble free motoring with only regular maintenance.
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Then you should have 1 year lexus warranty + one additional year every time you service it at lexus until it is 10 years old or 100000 miles. Even after that you can buy warranty if you want to at an extra cost. These cars do not have a traditional automatic gearbox. What it has is a hybrid transaxle or powersplit device or e-cvt. No clutch or torque converter. Essentially its just 2 electric motors and a planetary gear set mated to the engine. So there are no gears to shift. This system is designed for efficiency as opposed to performance and power delivery is linear. It suits the GS very well as it is more of a relaxed luxury cruiser as opposed to a sports saloon like the IS or 3 series. Also the simplicity of this design makes it super reliable. I had an is300h before the GS and while that was great and was very sporty. I find the GS is something more up my alley its very smooth and has a softer ride and everything is more luxurious feeling. If you want sporty perhaps try the is300h and see if you prefer that but it still wont "shift" and will have a similar linear power delivery but is a bit faster than the GS.
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Full service history ideally full dealership history. If it was serviced at lexus and is less than 10 years old under 100000 miles then it will have the lexus relax warranty. Also ensure that even if it was not serviced by lexus that it at least has a hybrid healtcheck certificate from lexus. Lexus warranty the hybrid battery for 15 years but you need to have a hybrid health check every year. Generally the cars are very reliable no major known issues. Older 2013 14 models may have leaky struts. Also leaky water pumps. Look for pink crust around the waterpump. Also check for excessive rust.
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This is correct. In the UK the only thing different about the fsport is the instrument cluster, some styling elements and the suspension dampers. The rest of it is identical to other trims so no limited slip differential on the IS300H at least, as far as I am aware.
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Lexus IS F-Sport Seats
Notamech replied to agent_dess's topic in Lexus IS 300h / IS 250 / IS 200t Club
Instead of replacing the entire seat have you considered just reupholstering them. Im sure you will be able to find some shop locally. If sourcing replacement seats i would definitely recommend buying like for like you should be able to find the same on ebay or at a breaker. Pretty sure the fsport seats are different design wise at least. With regards to re-colouring most recolouring balm / creams may not work as well or might take loads of applications to get the desired result because they are meant for absorbent leather and even if your leather is real and absorbent my understanding is that most leather seats are factory coated with a layer of flexible lacquer to seal the colour in which make the seats less absorbent also. Rather you could consider leather paint to refurb your seats. Something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leather-Repair-Colourant-Suitable-Handbag/dp/B09HXDMVS9/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=12DL469760DMO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.CtuXNRBpXtLxf_oZJVNQb3m9BafwBlBxoc8EXKn9PirvCuFW9Q0lJpf_FzifqQMliiUWtwVuIWntWvI4HVeN6iecog57o7kmRN6vY9QGk0TBbgscojt1OYba0Pa0xDH-vHF5SGhjN0GeSSobIlSmdel5T_A_rkr3voW_Q7EOn4aEU8YJoGP4-Ofx44CEXR-QpT__4SOF5ivzCPdlgciM2w.AZL6SknVy4Q_Pm5RX0cpWNpHIpB12xISl1hq8Uuzemk&dib_tag=se&keywords=leather%2Bpaint&qid=1732118524&sprefix=leather%2Bpaint%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1&th=1 You can DIY this with a sponge but you need to prep the surface really well by cleaning it thoroughly and even using specific solvents to remove the lacquer coating. -
Good cars overall. Nothing much to watchout for when buying other than the usual sensibilities you would show when buying any used car. One thing is the waterpump on some older models was susceptible to leaking ao check for pink crust around the waterpump. Also try and avoid cars from the coast or far north as salted roads mean there will be loads of rust underneath and in the engine bay.
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Are you sure you need to drop the pan and change the filter? Im not sure if there is a filter and if replacements are available as i dont really see the part anywhere online nor do i see this procedure defined in the official repair manual. Is this being done by a lexus dealer? If so then those prices do sound right for the procedure you described. I just got a simple drain and refill. It did feel a tad bit smoother after the oil change but it might just be a placebo.