rondoggnuts

What is the name of the additive you use Mr. Doggnuts. :D I guess I could've included that in my first post, huh? :silly: It is called FP Plus made by LCD Inc. Can be purchased here: http://lcdinc.zoovy.com/ You can get more info about it from the fanatics at BITOG (Bob is the oil guy) forums here: http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/ubbthreads.php At ~$50 for a gallon, seems expensive but is worth it if you consider we only need 1.5 oz per tank (if filling with 15 gallons). If you are not sure, you can try 1 quart for half that cost (not as good a deal). I just bought a gallon since so many people had good things to say about it. Just to summarize for you, here is a basic breakdown of what it is/does: -contains solvents to clean deposits (mildly I believe) -acts as upper cylinder lubricant (like Lucas UCL) -fuel stabilizer (keeps fuel fresh longer for storage, like STA-BIL) Basically, I recommended that you first use a good fuel system cleaner (I like Gumout Regane *in CLEAR BOTTLE* at walmart for ~$5) and the FP Plus will basically maintain cleanliness/perform mild additional cleaning. I only have ~27,000 miles on my IS and it must have been dirty because I definitely noticed a difference in acceleration after using the Gumout. I also had the car since new and NEVER averaged 23 mpg until I used FP. Normally, I would never buy something like this as I thought they were all a scam to get our money. But after plenty of research, I finally forked over the dough. I am certainly glad I did.

Assuming all other things equal, manual is faster than auto. ~10 hp is lost in torque converter of auto.

I have a 2003 5-spd and last couple tanks I averaged over 23 mpg mixed city/hwy. Tires are inflated to ~37psi and using a fuel additive that costs me ~ $0.70 per tank if purchased by the gallon. I actually save money because I buy cheap gas since the additives are what make "top-tier" gas different. Before the additive I averaged 20-21 mpg MAX with identical driving habits/conditions. I agree that driving habits contribute most to poor gas mileage in most cases. However, NOT ALL fuel additives are snake oil, even though most definitely are. Slightly over-inflate tires, change driving habits, perhaps clean fuel injection system with a good product like Techron concentrate, Gumout Regane, or Redline-SI-1. MAF and air filter clean then maybe consider a good additive to maintain cleanliness while buying cheap gas. Your mileage will improve!

Unfortunately he wasn't BSing you. Believe it or not, our stock flywheel is a ~35 lb "dual-mass" dampened flywheel and is something like $1200-$1500 at the dealer. Lexus uses this flywheel in conjunction with an un-sprung, solid clutch disc to dampen torque spikes to the transmission. This supposedly allows more "play" and is designed to protect the transmission. Others beg to differ and opt to install aftermarket lightweight solid flywheel with sprung clutch. The sprung clutch allows for damping in the system but does not have as much "play". Some will say the aftermarket setup feels great but it is still debatable whether or not damage will result from this setup. Aftermarket will probably cost you less than half of what the dealer wants but you might have to find a reliable shop to install it for you. Your flywheel is almost certainly damaged, especially if you drove it while it is "slipping" with the clutch engaged. Although it is not generally recommended, some have found shops willing to resurface the flywheel for them. Yet again, this is a debatable topic. Basically, you need to weigh the pros and cons of each setup and decide which is best for you. These topics are thoroughly discussed on www.my.is. So if you haven't already found it, I would log onto there and do a search. You will find an overwhelming wealth of information that will help you make your decision. Good luck with your new clutch/flywheel. Take good care of it and you may get 150k mi out of it.