Tesco selling 5w30 A5 Magnatec for £9.00  2 litre containers if anyone is interested 

Hi!,
and greetings from Finland!

So i bought a 220d -07 with 195,000km on the clock for about 2 weeks ago, had passed MOT a month before.
So today went on a 50km drive to a shop and on the way it started smoking blue for 10-20 seconds ( felt like a lifetime ) i was going about 85-90km/h with cruise control..it did that 5-7 times! On the way back home the same 50km it only did it once..

So today i cleaned the erg valve and went for a drive and it happend again...smokes blue, the more i accelerate the more smoke i get...

Coolant level is Ok , clear pink
Oil level Ok

Did i buy a head gasket failure car ? ofq its a imported from a private person...

Any advise before i cry myself to sleep?

Been doing a bit of digging to find the relevant info on the air/fuel (A/F) and oxygen (O2) sensors fitted to our vehicles. Essentially, on the is250, there are four to be considered. There are 2 Upstream sensors (Bank 1 Sensor 1 and Bank 2 Sensor 1) and 2 Downstream sensors located after the cats (Bank 1 Sensor 2 and Bank 2 Sensor 2). The engine is a V6 configuration ( sorry to say the proverbial, but needs must) so we have two Banks of three cylinders. Viewed from the front of the car the bank on the left is Bank 1 and the bank on the right is Bank 2.

Found this to help clarify if anybody not sure.

See below at A  ... sorry, all went out whack when I uploaded it all!!

The A/F sensors are good, generally speaking, for 80,000 mls or so. Lexus recommend changing between 80 and 100,000 (but they may last longer). The oxygen sensors are very important because they monitor the air/fuel ratios and exhaust of the engine, so if they fail more pollutants can be released into the atmosphere. This can also cause the engine to run into serious problems including a compromised catalytic converter. You may feel erratic acceleration, notice a bit more smoke from the exhaust, smell a petrol odour, notice your mpg start dropping and if one fails completely you'll get light up on the dash with Check VSC warning. Then you'll need to get the codes read to pinpoint the problematic one (assuming it is indeed a O2 sensor).

Here is another bit of info i found which is a TSB from Lexus. This is handy as it relates to all of the Lexus vehicles. This clarifies further the individual sensor locations.

See below at B

I'm just about to do my 2 Upstream sensors (precautionary move .... as I've noticed a tad more smoke and slight smell of fuel, plus I'm on 74,000 mls) as Lexus will want around £650 to fit them and they are not that tricky to do your self. Newbie has done 2 splendid guides on how to do with excellent photos. Denso are not the most helpful to the UK market but the sensors can be sourced from Rockauto in the USA at much cheaper prices. Import Tax is a grey area ... sometimes you get away with it and sometimes not!! Currently, the sensors are £70-90 from Rockauto (may improve, who knows, the Dollar rate is not brill at the mo ... but heck they're still a darned site cheaper!) or anywhere around £240 each in the UK.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/lexus

Incidentally, while I'm doing these jobs I shall change the PCV valve too (easy to do while doing Bank 2 Sensor 1, having made the space to get at it!!). Again, got that at same time from Rockauto for £5.40 where Lexus want £26. The PCV valve being gummed up can lead to a bit more exhaust smoke.

Out of interest here are Newbie's guides relate to his 2007 model.

Newbies guide for Bank 2 Sensor 1 is within the above post. This is the best place to look as all the photos are present. Unfortunately much has gone awry in the "How To" section after the last forum update .... most pictures have vanished.

If i discover any differences on a 2010 model I'll put up a walk thru with pics. The only thing I've found thus far is that the sensors have a different reference number. Maybe some modifications were made to the facelift version.

The Bank 1 Sensor 2 and Bank 2 Sensor 2 units are tricky'ish to do as they are essentially under the floor and will require lifting of carpets and moving of seats to get at as they the looms pass through the floor of the car via a weather proof grommet to connect into the exhaust pipes.

I hope that info is of use to some of you.

Happy New Year to all and here's hoping 2017 will be a good one for all.

Right, need a cuppa now!! 

A

B

Over the past few weeks I've noticed a noise that shouldn't be there.  I had the engine running yesterday to power the compressor while checking my tyre pressures and it was very noticeable.  Difficult to describe, not heavy mechanical (engine's running sweetly).  Did you ever use a clothes peg and cardboard to create a "clicker" on your bike as a kid ?  It's a softer version of that and frequency increases with revs.  As the offending part is rotating with the engine I can only think it may be a bearing from alternator or water pump maybe ?  Any ideas ?

I'm taking it to Lexus Cardiff on Tuesday, a 120 miles round trip !  Car is under Lexus Extended Warranty so I hope the offending part is covered.  They have informed me that there will be a £138 diagnosing fee, which will be waived if the problem comes under the terms of the warranty.  I'm sure that they will have heard my problem on more than one occasion before and diagnosis will take all of two minutes !!  £138 a bit steep for that methinks ?

Any thoughts ?

Hi all,

I've recently purchased some service parts for my 250 from Rockauto in the USA. It was the PCV valve and both Upstream Air/Fuel Sensors (often referred to as Oxygen Sensors). They were much cheaper from Rockauto than trying to buy them within the UK or Europe and carriage was very reasonable at some $12. The only thing you need to be aware of is the fluctuations in exchange rates. But you can view the prices in £'s so it's all quite clear really.

Having done this they have now issued me with a discount code to get 5% off any online purchases up to April 2nd 2017. The code can be used by anyone...I quote from their email ...

"The discount takes 5% off our already-low prices. There's no limit on order size or the number of orders. Use the code for your next order, and share the code with anyone you know who works on cars or trucks "

If anybody wishes to take advantage of this, send me a PM and I'll pass it on to you

Here's a link if you want to have a look at their site

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/lexus

Just select your model year and then the model.

Cheers

Normski

Lexus doing 895 for 2yrs =447.50 per yr 

Click4warranty doing for 342.10 for 1 yr with discount for 2 yrs it's 684.20 and it covers everything that lexus cover so why pay more plus this covers wear and tear too 

Looking at feedback it's quite good too 

With click 4 warranty you don't have to go to lexus for services use any vat registered garage, with lexus warranty you have to go lexus for services 

Any thoughts ????thanks

British drivers heading to the France capital are advised by the RAC that driving without a France 'clean air' sticker – which costs as little as £3.20 – makes them culpable for an on-the-spot fine of up to £117.

• Petrol and diesel cars registered before 1997 are banned from the capital between 8am and 8pm
• Failure to display a sticker will result in a fine of €68 and €135 (£58 to £117)
• UK registered cars can be driven without one until March 31
• A sticker costs around €3.70 (£3,20) – or €4.18 (£3.60) including postage

Drivers of non-French-registered vehicles though, have been offered a degree of leniency – given until March 31 to fully comply with the Crit’Air initiative. An English language section of the government website responsible for stickers launches on February 1.

The scheme in Paris began on January 15, while those in Lyon and Grenoble have been running since the start of the year.

The Crit’Air initiatives require all cars, motorbikes and lorries to display a windscreen sticker relating to their green credentials.

Read more here:-

http://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/law-change-for-uk-drivers-in-french-cities/

What's the betting the gendarmes will be on the lookout for GB cars??

So I've had my IS250 SE-L Auto coming up 2 years. It's 55 plate and covered 110k and although I love everything about the car, it's really starting to clock up some bills now.  

So far I have had a water pump go just over a year ago, so a new pump and rad were installed. The head gasket went just before Xmas this year, leading to a donor engine being installed.

I've now have 2 new problems.

1. Whenever it starts from cold, it sounds like a diesel whilst it fires up. Only when it's cold and once the engine is running, it sounds perfectly fine. I'm told it could be an oil pump (speculation, it hasn't been looked at as yet)

2. Only very intermittently, when accelerating up an incline, there is a horrendous sound similar to a slipping aux belt but more metallic (Awful description I know, sorry). If i immediately take my foot off the gas the noise goes and when I put it back on, the noise does not return. This off/on can be done with no delay.

Any ideas what either of the above can be? - I can try and get a video of my Diesel start up later if that helps?

This car has wanted for nothing over the last 2 years and I refuse to believe that the shelf life of this car is 110k. My 1st Gen IS did around 180k before it even visited a garage outside of general maintenance and that was only because the bottom of the rad had corroded. 

Hello all

I have recently swapped my 2002 IS200 for a 2007 IS250 and have got an annoying "buzzy rattle" which seems to be coming rom the central area of the dashboard. Anybody had any similar experiences with rattles etc?

I am a bit miffed about this as my IS250 was completely rattle/buzz free.

Just looking for some pointers here -

It seems like since its got colder, everytime I start the car and turn the wheel full lock - for example to reverse out of somewhere - there is this unusual knocking/clicking noise. This noise however goes away after driving a bit or the car has warmed up..what is it? I have owned the car since summer so not usually sure what the cold weather can do to it.

I'm also way past the due date for the next servicing. Its at 73K miles now (last serviced at 60k) and 10 years old - what sort of costs would I be looking for a full service at a dealership assuming nothing needs replacing? What are the costs for replacing the pads on it as I've also started getting metallic squealing lately when braking

--I should also mention that it is due for the recalls. Haven't done either of them yet, can I use this as a bargaining tool as they'll have to take the engine apart anyway? 

Cheers!

The 4th one for my Lexus which has just passed the 100k mark. The MOT tester said it feels like a new car when he took it out, no advisories. 

Be warned though, he had an 06 plate IS sat outside, apparently it is a local traders car which had been sat on the forecourt for the last few months, the brakes have siezed up solid, they have had a go at freeing them off with no success so far, so remember folks get your brake callipers maintained as they aren't including in the Lexus schedule.

hi can somebody help me ive got a 2008 is220d its done 83000 has been going well then I got the engine management light on and the traction light and in the screen it said check vsc  has anybody any ideas I really like this car and smile whenever I drive it until now of course

Quick question; is the auto box on my IS250 the torque converter or dual clutch type?

Does anyone have a link for a number plate plinth/mount for a 2006 is250 for front bumper as pictured below

hi guys

posted this topic on another forum,think i got the wrong one ( new to doing this)

i put an address in the nav ok but the voice instruction doesn't work, also the voice recognition has stopped working

i would be very glad of some help. Brian

I plan to keep my IS250 for a further 18/24 months and like to browse the auto trader website for new car ideas. I have to say I've been very impressed with my first Lexus and have looked at the CT200h as a possible 'upgrade' but I believe the ride can be quite firm? Obviously, performance wise it's a different beast to the 250 but then you get the better MPG. Also considering a Quashqai/CRV for practicality. I'd be interested to know what forum members may have looked at to replace their IS. I know there's a lot of love for these cars on here and rightly so, but nothing lasts forever!

Hi all. So seems like someone went down the street and keyed a few cars, one of them being mine.

They have made about a 50cm scratch on the rear quarter panel. I will try and T cut it but I think I'll be doing it or of how rather than expecting it to be fixed.

What options do I have? (the car is white, not sure if that makes any difference) I bought the car with a little key scratch on the passenger door. Someone has suggested to through insurance to get it fixed. Anyone know if this route is worthwhile?

Anyone able to help me out with any advice?

Thanks

A quick list of what to look out for .... don't let this put you off ... all the faults I can remember are listed below (some are common sense), maybe there are a few more that owners can add

Seized rear calipers - cost around £300 each - Easiest way to check is to take the car on a test run and then when parked back up again feel the heat on each alloy - should be warm and not excessively hot. No squealing. Also, if discs are still rusted looking after driving then there's a problem. Obviously pulling to the side is noticeable

Brake pad shims - some members reported missing brake shims from the rear calliper - probably from when pads were replaced and the garage or dealer forgot to put them back on. Its not something you can easily check on a test drive but if missing they are very hard to source except from a scrap dealer if they will sell them at all separate.

Seized front calipers - as with the rears, around £300 each. Both front and backs can be freed if not too far gone, re-greased and put back together again but once seized they may need looking after more than ones not having been seized in the past as pitting and ill fitting rubber seals may be an issue. Why does this happen ... last owner not looking after the car or using the wrong type of grease in that it attacks the rubber boots letting dirt and water into the caliper moving parts. If it was looked after by the dealer then new calipers would have been fitted if seized. Greasing is not a part of the service schedule from Lexus so be aware. You may not experience any warnings that they are seized. Its the most common fault on these cars so get an assurance from the seller to replace if found to be seized or have him check them first. To be honest If it was me i would also check them myself when I got home with a new car just to be sure. Easy DIY job to both replace and maintain (grease) I do mine every 6 months but a lot of owners do it every year.

Black oil - A sign the cars not been looked after - the oil should not be black. It will go dark in colour but not black. Again, an easy DIY job - I use Magnatec and an oil change, including the filter will cost you around £60. Takes a bit over 6 litres.

Oil filter cap seized - If you can, ask the dealer or garage to ensure the cap housing thr filter will move. A lot of garages, including dealers put these on far too tight and some owners have experienced cracked housings while trying to remove the caps to change the filter. An easy DIY job

White crust around front water pump area - an indication the water pump is on its way out - costs around £200 for a new one (inclusive of fitting)

Exhaust shot - Black soot around the welded joints - check the centre section around the middle resonator as this is a problem area. Get this checked out at an exhaust centre. Pay for the inspection as you wont get a lot of change back from 3k for the replacement parts (back box and centre) if it has gone or is on its last legs - the pattern parts have not been released to 3rd party manufacturers so the replacement parts are only available from Lexus unless you are going bespoke and going for a stainless one - a Cat back system will cost around £500 - if you have the time and want to get your hands dirty then you can put together a bespoke exhaust yourself for around £100.

Tyres rotated wrong way - Ask why have they done this? un-even tyre wear so look around the shocks / springs to see if theres any issues - maybe nothing

Tyre choice - A good choice of branded rear tyres will serve well. Remember its a rear wheel drive car - Do not go for cheap brands as while they may last/wear well, the performance in the wet will be hazardous. Read through the forums for owner experiences on brands.

Leaking shocks - Expensive replacements but not a real issue - some owners have reported replacing them and hard to find

Wheel locking nuts seized - Put on with a tyre dealer air hammer. Will come off with specialised tools and a lot of patience - I think this is common cause on all cars - happened on 3 in our household over the years. Check this out before buying if possible.

Wheel security locking nut missing - check this is available when buying the car. Without it you wont be able to take the tyres off easily or replace if you get a puncture

Alloy wheel corrosion - this is apparent across the Lexus range - corrosion on the alloy happens and noticeable by bubbles under the alloy coating - will eventually lead to pressure loss if not tended to as it will break the seal between the tyre and the wheel itself

Tow hook missing - only handy when you need it so check its there - located in the boot of the car

Spare tyre - it houses a space saver wheel - make sure its inflated. If it looks like its been used then take out and inspect to make sure its inflated.

DVD sat nav extraction tool missing - only handy when you come to update the sat nav DVD - the tools for this should be in the black tool kit in the boot of the car

CD/DVD head unit fully working - take an original CD / a DVD and an MP3 disc with you and test each one out - they should all work without messing with the settings. (you will need to select each disc to play and it should)

Noise from front speaker cover - a cracking noise from the speaker cover on the front centre dash board - not experienced this myself but its apparently quite noisy. Also a rattle has been reported, again not widespread.

Noise from driver door area - don't know If this is a common area. I originally thought it was the door seal but narrowed it down to the handle above the door rattling slightly - I oiled the hinge and the noise disappeared

Coolant level low - check the heating is hot when on. Check for a "gurgling" noise which will indicate the cooling is low - if its low then there could be an issue with a leak or possible indication the pump is on its way out

Front headlights - will become "cloudy" over time - no more than any other car and can easily be restored with a bit of elbow grease

Corroded wheels - a common issue with the Toyota wheels - bad ones will eventually lose air and deflate due to the corrosion not creating a good seal.

Uneven wear on tyres - indication there's something a miss with the alignment / shocks - to be honest this is not reported as a problem on the cars. Maybe more so from owners using non OEM wheels

Cams are chain driven - no worries there but they can stretch (very extreme though)

Rear blind working - read a few posts on here that its stopped working or stuck in the up position - check its operation

Front discs - They are heavy on discs and front pads. Check the wear on the discs on the front - not expensive to replace and an easy DIY job

Lights not bright and flickering - an indication that the bulbs are on their way out - check both are the same colour. If not, one has been replaced and other will need to be done at some point. Check all front lights as they are quite fiddly in replacing the bulbs

Aircon works - should be cold - if not then check coolant level, if ok the system either has a leak or may need re-gassing

Squeeky steering adjustment - has been reported by a few members. Mine squeeks in hot weather when automatically adjusting. Not all the time and has not caused any issues.

Mirrors dip when in reverse - the mirrors should dip towards the road when in reverse, a feature on the cars to ensure easy viewing of where you are going. If they don't then its most likely they will just need to be cleaned internally. Again an easy DIY job.

Parking sensors - with the engine running have someone walk within a foot of the sensors at the front and the rear of the car - it should start beeping when the person walks past them. Not seen any issues with this reported by the owners.

O2 sensors - PreCat (within engine bay) will go around 70 to 80k easy DIY job - cost around £180 for OEM Denso ones - don't use 3rd party ones as they will not last

Rear brake shoes - Cant easily be checked on a test drive - changed mine at around 90k last year and they still had a bit of meat on them, probably on the car from new so more than likely will need changing or inspection at least. Easy DIY job

Main engine plastic cover - centre engine cover can become loose from removing and re-applying it. there is a push button tab that breaks off and it can in some instances be heard rattling over lumpy roads. Mine has broke - not a real issue as the radio at low volume masks any rattle. I expect some strong glue would fix this.

Engine idle - make sure its constant at tick over when cold (quite high) and when hot (around 700revs) - if erratic it could indicate a carbon build up - not an issue with an application with cleaning liquids

Valve Rattle - VVTI may rattle from time to time - the oil will drain in some cases from the resoviour for the valves after standing for a bit and as a consequence there is a rattle noise (similar to a dull machine gun noise) but will disappear in a second or so. Happenned on mine a few times when I first had it. but not come back for a couple of years now. Regular oil changes and I do an engine flush each oil change and in my opinion it has helped a lot.

Exhaust smoke - no smoke from these - only condensate when in cold weather which is normal for most cars

Cabin carpets - check the drivers side has clips anchoring the carpet down (if it has one) if it doesn't then the carpet can creep under the pedals

Boot - Its a fair size boot but the opening does not give good access to large items - ideally it could have done with split seats but its not that kind of car I guess.

Audio - Make sure the spec includes a Mark Levinson branded head unit which is the better of the head unit specs on these models.(indicated on the front of the stereo on the bottom right of the unit)

Rear seat room - its a bit cramped in the back with passengers on the seats - leg room is dismal, maybe that's why I have never sat in the back when its been driven. Wife wont drive it due to the size of the car which I don't mind at all.

Reliability - looked after its bullet proof, best make of car I have owned. Running costs are petrol only. Put in the time to do the services (oil, filters etc) and it will serve you well.

Parts availability - Had my 250 for 3 years and an IS200 for 2 prior to that - the only time I was unable to get a part was the exhaust for the 250 - I could get one from the dealer but at nearly 3k I thought no way and went down another route. Parts are available from Eurocarparts / ebay / online easily enough and are not expensive.

Speed - People forget these are not sports cars - they are quick in manual mode and can keep up with the best of them but are not made for that purpose. Its nice owning one for the individuality of having something different from whats sitting on the neighbours drive or in the works car park. I only know of an IS200 Alteeza and a IS220 local to myself so its my bit of exclusivity. Don't care how old it is, its still better than a new model medium city car.

Mileage - mines on 93k - no issue and having has a high miler is200 and this one then I would consider another high miler but with the knowledge of what to look for. I don't think there would be any problems if you are careful in what you are looking at - gut instinct in a lot of cases. I guess there will be very few low milers available now on these cars now but you may be lucky in finding one.

Keys - Ensure it has a minimum of 2 keys and they both work  - if not then its definitely a bargaining chip to use as a replacement one will cost you around £350 and a trip to Lexus.

Corroding windscreen wiper arms - these seem to bubble quite a bit under the paint on the main body of the wiper arm. No issue but it will break through the paint at somepoint.

Check front windshield, if non-genuine check if wipers defrosters and auto sensing wipers works OK. As well windshields mouldings sometimes gets gets loose (broken clips) - about £80 to get new mouldings. (Courtesy of Linas.P)

Main ground cable - In wet climate it was reported that main ground cable sometimes gets corroded and it is very hard to troubleshoot it.(Courtesy of Linas.P)

Squeaky seats reported for the manual option (Courtesy of Vintagesixtysix)

DMF issues (Dual Mass Flywheel) for the manual drive option (Courtesy of Vintagesixtysix)

Paint - the paint is soft on these cars so are prone to scratching easier than other makes if not careful

Cat failure - there has been a couple of reports of the cats failing on these cars but only a few have been reported at relative low mileage for the car (around 80 / 90k miles) not common though. There are 2 cats on these.

Service milestones - consider cars around 60k miles require a spark plug change - or so Lexus recommends although they are good for 100k. This is an expensive job at around £600. Not done mine yet, planning on doing them at 100k. I would state at 100k then you will need to get your hands dirty and give the car a good going over, fluids etc just for peace of mind. Lexus service interval report does not state any excessive requirements, mostly checks to be made.

Recalls - that I am aware of: cabin carpet mat required securing / airbags / fuel sensor washer. there may be more but these are the ones I know of.

Spec - I would personally recommend the top spec SE-L Auto box at 2007 / 2008 as I believe when the face lift came along then the models lost a few features that were on the older models. A sunroof would be brilliant but like gold dust at this spec.

Quite a bit of points above - don't let this put you off at all - the exhaust nearly saw me pack the car in when mine went but I went down the stainless route so alls not lost. Best to go into a sale knowing all the points to look at before making your mind up. Best car I have ever owned.

One last consideration - in the 7 years I have owned the Lexus brand we have by far spent more money during this time in maintaining a fairly new Vauxhall  !!

One last point, if you have an ODB error code reader then take along and scan the ecu for any stored fault codes unless the dealer has cleared it down

I've just bought a 2009 IS 250 with what I believe are called 'Oakham' beige leather seats with the trim code 'LA00'.

Unfortunately, the driver's seat has some wear to the bolster, which I would like to repair with leather dye as I have done successfully on other cars.

However, none of the companies that supply such products seem to recognize this colour and therefore need a sample piece of leather from my car to mix the correct match.

I'd rather not have to do this, not least because there don't seem to be any excess bits of leather to cut from beneath the seats or elsewhere.

Does anyone know whether 'Oakham' also goes by different names in different models or years or countries? It would seem that all the leather colours go by different names in America, for example.

The company I am dealing with have a match for 'Cotswold' beige and I know there are other seemingly similar colours that go by names such as 'Ecru', 'Alabaster', 'Rutland' and 'Ivory'.

If there is any overlap with these it would be useful to know.

Thanks.