Gaugster

I am getting between 26 - 28 mpg based on what the "TANK AVG" says when I have consumed more than 3/4's of the tank since fill-up. I like to use this as it takes into account the cold starts in the morning and other driving habits. Although it is neat to watch the tank average gauge go way up into the 30’s just after a fill up even if it is meaningless. IS250 AWD, 5W-20 motor oil, A/C ON, Normal Tire Pressure 37/39psi, 93 octane My daily drive is mostly expressway but there tends to be traffic so my average speed is only around 40mph. Regards,

It happened to me once as well. It was just after I had reconnected the battery after performing some work. I just assumed that the car needed a few more cranks than typical to learn itself after the power was disconnected.

Can you cite any specific conditions that occur in the real world, outside a racetrack or a chase scene from a Bond movie, where different brake pads (both in good condition and capable of engaging the ABS system) will improve stopping distance? The only one I can think of where pads would matter at all is driving down a steep mountain... which would be another case like I discussed where some pads might take longer to fade, this preserving the same stopping distance over a longer period of time, not actually improving it per se. But of course using lower gears would mitigate that significantly, and would be the proper way to drive in that situation.... the 2IS makes this fairly easy even with the auto. You mentioned the one that I can think of which is the thermal issues with the pads, rotors and brak fluid for that matter. But those don't really pertain to the stopping distance tests that the OEM's and other groups perform.

Yeah, troll alert........ We're splitting hairs here and it seemed to have turned into a personal thing. It's all about static vs. dynamic friction IMO. Methods for applying the brakes are different from ABS vs. non-ABS vehicles. It is a matter of deciding which of the many factors (tires, road, brakes, brake lines, fluid, Pre-Collision System, vehicle weight etc...) has the most dominate affect on the stopping distance of the vehicle. In less then ideal conditions like rain and snow, it’s all about the tires 100% as locking up the wheels is easy. In very ideal condition, tires are still a very major factor but some of the other aspects can come into play IMO. Knightshade is considering a very special application of the brakes where only the ISx50 is considered and maximum force is applied and the wheels will lock up instantly. Others have declared this to be a falsehood and then went on to discuss the “other aspects” I mentioned above. I think Knightshade is correct given that his example is very specific and limited. The other comments are true for a host and “what if” scenarios – most of which can be relevant for daily drivers. Regards,

Yeah, I've been talking with them. They say they damage to the rear would be unrelated and I agree, because it looks like the only thing that might have been done is some slight paint work. There are no signs of obvious repair work(did a magnet test to check for body filler). So I think the Lexus dealer is just basically saying they have no idea what's going on. Anybody know what my legal rights might be? The dealer I bought it from, while being sympathetic, doesn't seem to be willing to do much about it. I would have the battery replaced if it has not already been done. I had a battery go bad where I could basically put a wrench on the + battery terminal and switch the vehicle power on and off. Something inside the battery was cracked and the battery would lose its capacity. However this was not a battery from a Toyota product. Good luck

I ended up dropping it off at the dealer yesterday, but before I did I check all of the fuses and battery connections and everything was good and tight. I also noticed that all of my turn signals were not operational and that the bulbs were actually blown....weird. Yes, that is weird. It could be a bad battery I supose. In rare cases, the battery can have internal problems that cause it to have somthing like a "Brown out". The power coming on and off cause bulbs and other stuff to break. Let us know what happens

I would check the terminals of the battery and make sure they are tight as well as any other power connections. It sounds like the vehicle's power supply is intermittent. The previous owner might have had some aftermarket accessory connected to the battery and removed it quickly when the car was sold. It is possible that the connections just were not tightened correctly afterwards. Regards,

Nice ride, enjoy it as much as you can. Yes the plastic things on the sun visors are card holders of some type. I never used them FWIW. Regards,

I have heard of some very minor oil leaks but they were only drips. Nothing that would make a big spill like you describe. It would help if you could know what type of oil was leaking as there are many sources. Engine oil (light or dark brown or black depending on age, smells like oil), Transmission fluid (pink or dark brown depending on age, smells different the engine oil), Differential lube & CV joint lube (clear with very pungent smell), Brake fluid etc….. Then you would know if the dealer is full of crapp or not. Regards,

Yeh, Both sounds whether from the A/C fan at low speed or an open window or moon roof are generally called ‘buffeting’. The buffeting from the A/C is unfortunate as that can usually be designed out. Luckily it is not very loud. My car does it with the A/C set to vent or recirulate. The other, more common, buffeting is just fixed by opening more then one aperture i.e. window, moon roof etc... Regards,

The only way I can seriously justify the premium price is based on the advanced safety features. I.e. Multiple airbags, Advanced stability control, etc…. Most cars are available with these features but the premium cars seem to have the more advanced versions. Who knows it they work and we hope that they never have to be used but it is nice to know that they are there. Otherwise, we are just paying a premium because we want to or can. It is an emotional decision at that point IMO. Regards,

Gosh, I just can believe that someone that foolish could pass the test and get a drivers liscense. I hope it was a joke. It reminds me of the saying, "It is better to be born lucky then rich". Obviously that person had too much money and no brains or really stupid friends.

So, if the tire pressure sensors are calibrated to 35 PSI, it takes a 10 PSI drop to have the alarm come on? That seems to be a big drop - this car can run at 100 MPH easily - I would not want to run at 80+ with the tires inflated to 25 PSI. I'm going to see what the dealer says...... David Beats not having any sensors at all. They probably don't expect you to run at sustained speeds of 100 MPH anyhow. Actually, the FM states that if you will be driving at high speeds (~100MPH), you should increase the tire pressure. I think is was about 7-9psi above the normal specs of 35/37psi F/R. So with the higher pressure as the TPMS reference. A 10psi drop would put the warning pressure at around 35psi. Regards,

Excellent choice! I am sure that you will enjoy the AWD IS250. There are lots of small mods’ that can be made to these cars. Intakes, Exhaust, Appearance etc… I am in the process of adding a JoeZ intake tube along with a set of Mazzuri headers. The intake is a reasonable modification that won’t break the bank. The headers are more of a commitment but that is okay for me. Tanabe, Lexus (HKS), etc… make axle back muffler systems but the are mostly for adding sound and nor much real performance. The sky is the limit for appearance mods’ – Red-outs, IF-F tail lights, Tint, Wheels, Grills, HID, etc….. Do some research online and see what stuff is out there but most of all, enjoy you new car. Regards, PS - Let hope we get some good weather finally!!!!!!

Honestly, I never understood this mod'. IMO, it is just a copy of the OEM style BMW headlights so why would people want to do that to a Lexus, Infiniti etc...? Again it is just my opinion. It does look cool but is clearly a rip-off from a Bimmer. With that said, it is really expensive if you buy the whole headlight assembly. I have seen some DIY kits but you have to install it perfectly or it will look cheezy. I am bias as I really don't like this mod but I can understand why people want because of the lighting effect.

Ethan-n Seattle, Did you ever solve the TPMS problem described? I got a set of Snow Tires and new Wheels with the SC430 Sensors installed from the local 'Tire Shop' [i.e. not the Lexus Dealer where I had bought the 2003 car [with summer RTF Tires] a couple months before]. The 'Tire Shop' stated that they can set all cars' TPMS sensors with the electronic tool they have - but not Lexus! The Lexus Dealer is the only one who can do the job! I went to the Lexus dealer to get the set-up - and he asks me for the Serial Numbers for the 4 Sensors. I did not have the numbers and the 'Tire Shop' did not either ! The 'Tire Shop' is back tracking to see if he can shakeout the numbers! The Lexus Dealer states that he can break open the tires/wheels and read off the Serial Nos.! I asked the Dealer if I get the numbers, how much of a job to set-up the TPMS. He told me 3 hours ! Is this serious ? This should be a simple 30 minute job at most! Why is Lexus perpretrating this complexity - it annoys the customer - surely? ! Did you resolve your situation ? If so, HOW? Cheers! Coupe. Kind of an old thread but anyway........ You have to go to the dealer to have the new sensor ID's programmed into the vehcile's ECU. The IDs are printed on the TPM sensors. If you don't have them written down already, then the dealer will have to break the bead on the tire and make a note of the ID's before programming them into the ECU. The good news it that you can have this done at a Toyota dealer and not just a Lexus dealer. This will save some $$$$ Regards,

Hmmm, That would be tough IMO. The memory seats also configure the tilt/telescoping steering wheel as well as the outside mirrors. That means it is integrated deeply into the vehicles communication systems. Anything is possible but it is hard to say if it would be a simple plug-in or would require software upgrades etc... I can almost guarantee that the dealer will not help and just say that it is not possible. Good luck

That's what I was thinking. That photo is of the driver's front. The passenger front was more evenly worn. It does look like it was slightly under inflated. However, I think the driver's side tire may get more wear because right turns are more frequent. B) I'm watching the wear on the new Conti's, so I'll see what's happening. Just out of curiosity, did you rotate your tires occasionally? On the AWD I can rotate the whole wheel front to back, side to side as they are all the same size. It seems like you have different tire widths for the front and rear and that the tires are directional. Rotating side to side would not seem to have much effect since the IS is known to chew up the fronts if the rubber is soft. Also, its a pain as you have to remove the tire from the rim for directional tread patterns. But front to back would have helped a lot if it was possible.

Cool car. Is the IS a manual transmission as well? I am thinking the answer is yes since you mention that is seems quicker. I would think that is would be hard to compare stick vs. auto in different vehcile types.

I am in the burb's fo Chicago as well. None of the dealers in the state wanted to 'deal' so I went out of state to a Lexus dealer that was willing to do a special order. I got what I wanted but they were still a little sleezy. Just order what you want but be prepared to wait. Otherwise you can search for the exact car but then you will have little barganing advantage. My 2 cents

Well it is hard to know everyone’s definition of 'need' is. In general the chassis/body of the 2nd Gen IS it stiff enough for all but the most critical of applications. So I would say no, nobody really needs it but if you race your car on a road course and have many other suspension modifications then it may be of benefit. It is really personal preference. Some people just like this kind of stuff cause is look cool. Each to there own though. For drag racing, its just dead weight. I very very highly doubt that any brace of this type would cure all the rattles and noise that occur in the interior of the vehcile but I could be wrong. Frame connector on some other vehicles have done wonders but that was because the uni-body frames had a lot of flex. Tanabe is a popular company so I would expect that brace to be a quality part. Regards,

Responsible Lexus drivers don't run their tanks down to the fumes. As for drying, I use the touchless car wash and then go for a 100 MPH (no drifting) run and it dries everything except the trunk lid and rear bumper. For that I use a waffle weave microfiber drying towel. In 2 1/2 years I haven't seen any evidence of soft paint and have no scratches, rock chips, or swirl marks. I think the Zaino CS helps in that department too. Responsible drivers don't go 100MPH with wet tires and brakes either. :P Gotch ya (kidding) I can confirm that the ISx50 Obsidian paint is soft as I got two rock chips in the hood before the first 5k miles. I guess I should have had the clear bra installed upon delivery instead of during the first maintainance. I wonder if different colors have different material properties? My car is black so I use the Mr. Clean Autodry. No towel needed. Thread has been offically hijacked.

I have heard of fuel pumps going bad when you run the fuel tank empty or very low. I have heard that the cause is two things, one: cavitation of the pump (sucking air), and two: pump picking up sediment in the tank. I don't have direct experience with this, but that's what I've heard from auto-mechanic types. Someone on another forum posted a arrangment of the fuel pump in the ISx50. Apprently it is impossible to cavitate the pump as it is located in its own well at the absolute bottom of the tank. The pump will turn off before is runs out of fuel to aviod overheating. The sediment one is still possible I figure.

All hail the 'rubber mallet' aka the computer hammer!!!! :) The fuel pump bypass valve is actually located on the fuel rail in the engine compartment. So I would guess that it was a problem with the fuel pump itself or some sort of contamination. Was the fuel tank recently run down to a very low fuel level??? Just a guess.

dude yes im gonna read it. another thing....what are some cool tricks with IS u know? driving that is...and technologically...i think i figured most everything out like pushing to unlock button to get the windows open. Well to get serious for a moment. One trick is that you can hold the lock and unlock buttons on the key FOB and change how the doors unlock (or somthing like that) Every aggressive driving school I have heard of requires brand new tires to be on the vehicle as a general rule. Not sure how new they have to be but..... Regards,