Notamech

I know what you mean and agree with the helpfulness of people here. I had a Mercedes previously and everyone was only arguing on those forums. While Lexus itself may have lost a bit of the stellar service quality that it was once known for, the quality of Lexus owners certainly shines through here 😀

You will probably need to buy one of those 12v chargers with multiple outlets. As the is300h has only 1 12V socket and 2 usb slots. The usb slots are very low power and useless for charging anything, they're mainly meant for plugging in pen drives. I have a dash cam too and got an anker charger with 2 usb outs. These days you get fancier ones which have many outlets with fast charging speeds and they aren't too expensive. Something like this for example https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charger-Adapter-Compatible-Android-recorder/dp/B0832GZRH1/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?content-id=amzn1.sym.ffba1838-22a2-477e-bd96-71d7a67be19c%3Aamzn1.sym.ffba1838-22a2-477e-bd96-71d7a67be19c&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mIP3x_ZUI44jscZAAp_F8Glz4zvu3U5gLTKhEfhYr-Nu4p_-B30UOtnDV9QKfKY5-4Pe-qvlZUjAS7y2DhVsGwnUJC9Cdi41DwDudohpQF6kycHe7FGxUT3y97_Nyjvd1h_4jq8e7z2c9O846APkHTqsKfeMs1qaLwx-DBrQwTHtkp-nMWrWLlbGKB23UtCvUjptJ_Ima3gwnJLOOmDluQ.6v7mHL2iONjtWv9r7lxtbsjuqwT-E1iG1MA0IObtMBs&dib_tag=se&keywords=12v+usb&pd_rd_r=f7c7be20-0fe8-4f86-b95b-b5de74f69652&pd_rd_w=KOjU2&pd_rd_wg=xAwVf&pf_rd_p=ffba1838-22a2-477e-bd96-71d7a67be19c&pf_rd_r=TTKRGY9ETZM0FBZYXXPW&qid=1708541135&sr=8-17

ASC Auto headlight adjusting Blind spot monitoring Heated steering wheel Parking sensors

Same like you I use a cd player phone mount. And it does take some adjusting to get it just right so that you dont take your eyes off the road. Before i bought the mount i would just use a sticky pad and rest my phone horizontally in front of the factory screen this way it wouldn't slip and the position is perfect honestly but the downside is you end up covering the factory screen and in the summer heat one of the sticky pads melted so that's a no go anymore. Plus with the cd player phone mount i can switch orientation to vertical if i feel like.

So to begin with there are 2 types 1 is a smart box that runs on android and hooks up to your existing entertainment unit in this case everything is displayed on your factory screen. The 2nd type is a 10.25 inch screen that runs on android and also hooks up to your entertainment system. This option essentially is a replacement of the factory screen. But if you're buying the face-lift post 2017 car you probably already have a large 10.25 inch factory screen? so going with a smart box might be better so you can retain the factory screen. For both you will find many options on ebay or Aliexpress. Aliexpress is cheaper but aftersales is scary. Communicating with anyone there is a nightmare no one understands anything you say. It's great for small items but personally i will never buy anything worth 100s of £ on Aliexpress again unless im ok with losing my money. Installing it is not the easiest DIY job but definitely doable depending on your level of DIY skills. You van find several YouTube videos take a look and decidif it is for you. Essentially it involves dismantling your center console to remove your headunit and screen plugging in the wires and closing everything back up. I have a 2014 executive with the small screen i did buy an android screen from ali express but didn't like the quality it cost me nearly 500 for the top end spec. Took me ~3 hours to install the toughest part was passing the wires from the headunit to the screen as there is very little gap and the space is very tight and everything inside is sharp. Anyway didn't like it in the end and returned it (you have 15 days to return on Aliexpress on some listings if it says free returns. You can ship back to a UK address). Now i have used that money to buy me a samsung s24u. I just prefer using the phone as i found it to be more seamless than having 2 operating systems and jumping between the original lexus for calls and to the android system maps etc. It was fancy but the novelty wore off really fast and the sound quality wasnt as good as it uses the aux input to send sound to the speakers. For me the phone was more practical and less faffing around when connected to Bluetooth everything works just fine + the soundqualityon Bluetooth is better for some reason.

Lots of aftermarket chinese carplay / android auto solutions available but might cost a bit to install if you dont fancy doing it yourself. The units themselves cost anywhere between £300 -500 + installation. I personally feel for half that price £150 -200 you can buy a decent large screen mid range phone that you can use only for your car if you dont want to use your main phone for maps in the car. A tablet is another solution but tends to be too big for the IS given is compact interior. Personally I just use my main phone for maps as spending 350 400 on stuff attached to the car which does things my phone already does and which will yield no salvage value when i sell the car did not make sense to me. Id rather use that money towards upgrading my main phone when needed.

I think changing the cluster has other implications like the total distance covered by the car is stored in the cluster so it will change to whatever is on the new cluster. So might be worth recording and documenting the current miles before changing

Mistakes happen but as you rightly pointed out the liablity lies with them to make it right. If there was a perceived risk that removing the sensor was going to cause it to break. They should be calling and informing you about it. Anyway whats done is done. I think its fair to give them an opportunity to make this right and replace a like for like sensor themselves. i reckon it will be cheaper for them to fix it themselves with original parts than paying you to go to the dealer. Also do inform them about the valve caps and do this over a text message or email in addition to a call. Document your grievance and the solution theyre willing to offer in case you need to take them to small claims court.

It is a sensible option. Get one you wont regret it. Alternatively if you want something less cramped and more luxurious have a look at the GS300h essentially same engine but the car itself is more luxurious than sporty. Not sure about how the finances / tax benefits etc. will work out for you though. That may be something you would need to revisit.

Thanks @wharfhouse @ColinBarber just the info I was looking for. Helps me understand situations in which PCP might be a better option.

Totally understand but that wasnt the intention. Just generally wanted to understand if finance companies offer any benefits or advantages for the high interest rates. E.g with some credit cards you get some level of buyer protection against fraud, product not being fit for purpose etc.

Just curious as to why people take out car loans / pcp isn't just getting a personal loan cheaper? When I bought mine before the crazy interest rate hikes i got a personal loan at 3.3% where as the cheapest car finance was 7.5% + the car is recorded as having finance on it. A personal loan sounded like a no brainier to me. So I always wondered other than people who don't get personal loans for whatever reason why would anyone take car finance? Are there any benefits I am missing?

Ok on the video it sounds like a rattle. The injectors typically make a tick like that of an auto igniting cooking stove. If it is the hydraulic lifters then that sound is normally only there around 10-20 seconds when cold starting and doesn't come back again until the next cold start. Your noise seems to be there intermittently right?

While i do recommend 0w20 vs 5w30 .I don't think your noise is due to the oil. Its probably something else. Perhaps have a garage diagnose it. It sounds to me like something might be lose like the heat shield on the exhaust manifold but it could just as easily be something else that is faulty and needs replacement. If you like experimenting maybe run an injector/fuel system cleaner through the system to see if that helps in case its a sticky injector. Lexus sell one as well https://lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/product/lexus-petrol-fuel-system-cleaner/

I take it you are looking at used? All lexuses from the past few years are highly susceptible to being stolen using the can bus method. Where thieves tear down your bumper and connect to your headlight wiring to gain access to the cars computer then hack it to start without needing a key. Even if they dont manage to steal it several people on this forum have ended up spending on repairs to the bumper + dealing with the hassle of claiming insurance + being without a car for weeks. Unless you have a gated compound to your house I would say this is something to be aware of as this means insurance prices might be very high + its a lot of hassle if your car gets targeted. I think the newer cars have this issue fixed. Else the car itself is a great buy like any other Toyota lexus product. Some elements of driving a hybrid take a bit of getting used to like the cvt box but its not a big deal for normal driving. One thing good about hybrids is the super low maintenance. Brakes and tyres last forever and theres not much else other than regular fluid changes that is needed.

I feel like Toyota recommend 0w20 for hybrids for a reason. 5w30 may be great for a regular gas / diesel powered engine that are on most of the time. The hybrids keep shutting off the engine so on a single city drive you engine starts and stops several times and needs thinner faster flowing oil when it starts back up. Personally I would stick with 0w20. Hybrids are a bit quirky with their fluid requirements. E.g you have to use a different non conductive compressor oil for the a/c. I think its best to stick with manufacturer's recommendations on oil grade.

Maybe it's just me but i can hear a rattle not a ticking / tapping sound. Mine was a rhythmic tick. To me that sound from the video sounds more like a loose heat shield or something. Maybe remove the plastic cover and have a look. I think it does warrant further investigation.

Im not sure about the ls600h but i had this on my is300h and looked into it. Turns out its normal and is the direct injection injectors. So a lot of modern Toyota engines have both port as well as direct injection and when the car switches to direct injection those injectors make a tapping/ticking sound as part of their normal operation.

I think repairing the puncture is impossible if you've used the gunk. Im sure they're more than happy to sell you a new tyre.

I think its down to whether the car has nav or not. I can only assume that the controller for the reverse camera lives in the nav unit for some reason and not in the entertainment unit. SE models that dont have nav cant seem to plug and play whereas others with the executive and up that have navigation can plug and play. Infact I managed to wire an aftermarket chinese camera to the factory connector in my executive without having to cut any factory wires or drill any holes.

Yeah good point. Some of them may already be criminals with multiple records and who dont really care.

I had something similar too recently where I was dropping a friend off at the station and the car behind mine parked up right next to me and started telling me off for blocking him when i stopped to drop off my friend. So i was like if i was really blocking you how come are you parked right next to me and telling me off? And I told him to FO and leave. He got very upset and was like "make me leave" . Agree I should have tried to diffuse the situation.. but it became a bit of an ego battle and things just escalated further. The guy got out of his car and tried to force open my door. I fortunately pulled out my phone started recording him at this point. Told him that he would be hearing from the police. He sat right back in his car gave me a death stare didn't say a word and drove off. Moral of the story pull out your phone and record them if things escalate.. Also make sure your door is locked..Under no circumstance do i recommend getting out of your car or trying to get into a physical brawl. If you record them they know you've got their face and number plate on camera and are unlikely to want to end up with a criminal record.

As far as I am aware that is correct. The camber can't be adjusted. Also, if your camber is out by a bit i reckon you wont be able to tell just by a visual inspection. The suspension may look fine but may have bent slightly and hence not very obvious. Honestly I am not sure what the solution is though and if lexus have some way of fixing this. But yes if your camber is out your tyres will wear unevenly again. Also just pasting what my numbers look like from an alignment i had done last year.

As others have said before there is no solution as this is not a problem. It's normal. Thats how brakes on all toyota hybrids work. If it bothers you one solution could be to increase the volume on the radio.

Do any of you experience crabbing? I have the F-sport wheels with 225/40 18 on the front. The tyres are new(got them last year) Good year asymmetric 6. Off late given the cold weather ive been experiencing really bad crabbing when doing a U turn in the morning immediately after setting off. I hear loads of pops from the front tyre. It sounds like the pops you hear when they install new tyres and inflate it for the first time. Its not as bad after driving for a while (i assume the tyres warm up) . Is this normal? Also what impact does it have on the tyres? For others considering Good year asymmetric 6 this might be something to consider - i know they're summer tyres but if you dont plan to switch between sets during the winter might be worth getting all season tyres or potentially a different brand. Do other brands of summer tyres do this too in the winters? I haven't experienced this before on any of the cars i have owned also we have a honda jazz also with summer tyres but that doesn't crab is it because those are slimmer tyres?