Discussion
BrettMRC said:
From memory, (so could be wrong) the radiator was the same in the early LS400's to the those in the V8 & Turbo Soarers - the one you have there from the '460 looks like it might be the same part.
The price certainly sounds right.
I must admit I'm quite surprised at how "cheap" they are. I've messaged "my man" to let him know when it can be MOTd and I'll speak to him again in another week or so to get it actually booked in. It may end up being a case of getting it directly through Lexus/Toyota, I'm not sure, but will see what he decides. I told him about Rock Auto and that it was best to get OEM which was Denso The price certainly sounds right.
I've just done the radiator on my Lexus (well a few weeks ago!), I bought the radiator from Lexus Parts Direct, it was a reasonable £280. Also bought all the coolant etc. as well. It was a relatively easy swap and relatively inexpensive for peace of mind!
I have looked into that GROM Vline unit you've bought a couple of times now. Did you buy it from the USA or the UK? How are you getting on with it? I've currently got a cheap £26 bluetooth/ aux adapter that allows me to wirelessly stream music and what not but i'd love the GROM unit for google maps/ Waze. I never use the Lexus satnav and resort to having my phone on a mount but id rather have the phone tucked out of the way.
I have looked into that GROM Vline unit you've bought a couple of times now. Did you buy it from the USA or the UK? How are you getting on with it? I've currently got a cheap £26 bluetooth/ aux adapter that allows me to wirelessly stream music and what not but i'd love the GROM unit for google maps/ Waze. I never use the Lexus satnav and resort to having my phone on a mount but id rather have the phone tucked out of the way.
scottos said:
I've just done the radiator on my Lexus (well a few weeks ago!), I bought the radiator from Lexus Parts Direct, it was a reasonable £280. Also bought all the coolant etc. as well. It was a relatively easy swap and relatively inexpensive for peace of mind!
I have looked into that GROM Vline unit you've bought a couple of times now. Did you buy it from the USA or the UK? How are you getting on with it? I've currently got a cheap £26 bluetooth/ aux adapter that allows me to wirelessly stream music and what not but i'd love the GROM unit for google maps/ Waze. I never use the Lexus satnav and resort to having my phone on a mount but id rather have the phone tucked out of the way.
Hi, I have looked into that GROM Vline unit you've bought a couple of times now. Did you buy it from the USA or the UK? How are you getting on with it? I've currently got a cheap £26 bluetooth/ aux adapter that allows me to wirelessly stream music and what not but i'd love the GROM unit for google maps/ Waze. I never use the Lexus satnav and resort to having my phone on a mount but id rather have the phone tucked out of the way.
Thanks for the heads up on the price, about what I was expecting via Lexus and fairly reasonable. Of my man goes via Lexus I'd get it cheaper because I never pay more than trade price.
RE the GROM unit, over a very good. There are a few occasions where it plays up, such as when I press the DVD button it will say no disc inserted and won't load, or it won't connect to my phone, but restarting the car always sorts it. It's pretty rare though (maybe once a month).
I use Google maps for navigation and its integration with the GROM unit is good. My only criticism is sometimes I'd like to view the map whilst not having a destination set. This is possible but for some reason there is no apparent way to do that whilst having the map as "track up", it's always north up I think. I've not tried waze.
I got it from the UK (I think), can't fault their customer support, on the fee times I had issues, mainly when I was getting used to it, they always replied pretty quickly.
Would I buy it again? That depends. Keeping the car for a number of years and frequently use the maps or want integrated audio streaming? Yes. Looking to sell the car within 1-2 years? Probably not worth the cost. The benefit of the GROM unit as opposed to a cheap Bluetooth thing like you have is that I can change the track using the buttons on the steering wheel, which is obviously a bonus.
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
Hi,
Thanks for the heads up on the price, about what I was expecting via Lexus and fairly reasonable. Of my man goes via Lexus I'd get it cheaper because I never pay more than trade price.
RE the GROM unit, over a very good. There are a few occasions where it plays up, such as when I press the DVD button it will say no disc inserted and won't load, or it won't connect to my phone, but restarting the car always sorts it. It's pretty rare though (maybe once a month).
I use Google maps for navigation and its integration with the GROM unit is good. My only criticism is sometimes I'd like to view the map whilst not having a destination set. This is possible but for some reason there is no apparent way to do that whilst having the map as "track up", it's always north up I think. I've not tried waze.
I got it from the UK (I think), can't fault their customer support, on the fee times I had issues, mainly when I was getting used to it, they always replied pretty quickly.
Would I buy it again? That depends. Keeping the car for a number of years and frequently use the maps or want integrated audio streaming? Yes. Looking to sell the car within 1-2 years? Probably not worth the cost. The benefit of the GROM unit as opposed to a cheap Bluetooth thing like you have is that I can change the track using the buttons on the steering wheel, which is obviously a bonus.
Thanks for the review, i checked their UK site and they dont list for my car or have the one i think would work in stock anyway, i think im fine making do for the forseeable, the GROM would be a 'nice to have'.Thanks for the heads up on the price, about what I was expecting via Lexus and fairly reasonable. Of my man goes via Lexus I'd get it cheaper because I never pay more than trade price.
RE the GROM unit, over a very good. There are a few occasions where it plays up, such as when I press the DVD button it will say no disc inserted and won't load, or it won't connect to my phone, but restarting the car always sorts it. It's pretty rare though (maybe once a month).
I use Google maps for navigation and its integration with the GROM unit is good. My only criticism is sometimes I'd like to view the map whilst not having a destination set. This is possible but for some reason there is no apparent way to do that whilst having the map as "track up", it's always north up I think. I've not tried waze.
I got it from the UK (I think), can't fault their customer support, on the fee times I had issues, mainly when I was getting used to it, they always replied pretty quickly.
Would I buy it again? That depends. Keeping the car for a number of years and frequently use the maps or want integrated audio streaming? Yes. Looking to sell the car within 1-2 years? Probably not worth the cost. The benefit of the GROM unit as opposed to a cheap Bluetooth thing like you have is that I can change the track using the buttons on the steering wheel, which is obviously a bonus.
The radiator also came with a new header tank and associated hoses/ clips, which was nice! It was for an ISF if it makes any difference, i imagine they are all fairly similar!
scottos said:
Thanks for the review, i checked their UK site and they dont list for my car or have the one i think would work in stock anyway, i think im fine making do for the forseeable, the GROM would be a 'nice to have'.
The radiator also came with a new header tank and associated hoses/ clips, which was nice! It was for an ISF if it makes any difference, i imagine they are all fairly similar!
£280 for a new rad, header tank and hoses/clips? That seems positively cheap from a dealer!The radiator also came with a new header tank and associated hoses/ clips, which was nice! It was for an ISF if it makes any difference, i imagine they are all fairly similar!
I was offered breakfast in Lexus Portslade when I went in for a set of exhaust gaskets, IIRC the set of four (for the cats) came to about £18 - but you always get the impression they treat everyone the same regardless of the nature of the purchase or request.
Backed up by when I was trying to decide between a Golf-R and an RC300h recently, the Lexus sales/service experience is generally excellent.
I think I need another one.
Backed up by when I was trying to decide between a Golf-R and an RC300h recently, the Lexus sales/service experience is generally excellent.
I think I need another one.
These things get under your skin. Another 250+ miles done today and a delay on the M4 near Cardiff due to a crash but this thing just ATE the miles. Some long tiny B roads starting off (from a place called Puncheston) so about 4 hours travelling time but got out the other side fresh, I stopped for about 3 mins for a loo break and that was it.
Such a great mile muncher. Quiet, comfortable and 375bhp or so means overtakes are dealt with fairly easily.
Only thing I noticed was when I just touch the brakes from outside lane motorway speeds there's definitely a sense the discs may be a bit warped. Heavier stopping is fine. I've never really noticed it before because I haven't driven it on roads clear or long enough to really get some speed up. It's MOT will be booked soon so I'll get them to check that out whilst it's having the new radiator fitted too.
If anyone is after a pretty cheap but very capable barge then I'd definitely recommend them. They aren't "fun" cars and they aren't sporty, but they're all the better at their job for not trying to be sporty.
Such a great mile muncher. Quiet, comfortable and 375bhp or so means overtakes are dealt with fairly easily.
Only thing I noticed was when I just touch the brakes from outside lane motorway speeds there's definitely a sense the discs may be a bit warped. Heavier stopping is fine. I've never really noticed it before because I haven't driven it on roads clear or long enough to really get some speed up. It's MOT will be booked soon so I'll get them to check that out whilst it's having the new radiator fitted too.
If anyone is after a pretty cheap but very capable barge then I'd definitely recommend them. They aren't "fun" cars and they aren't sporty, but they're all the better at their job for not trying to be sporty.
Traded my 2007 LS460 with 212K on the clock yesterday. I tried selling the Lexus privately but no interest. Only £2,000 in p/ex against a 2018 Volvo S90 diesel for £19,000.
Main reason for changing is the fuel economy, rfl costs etc. Volvo not in he same league as the Lexus, but hopefully not too far off.
Main reason for changing is the fuel economy, rfl costs etc. Volvo not in he same league as the Lexus, but hopefully not too far off.
philipbrown123 said:
Traded my 2007 LS460 with 212K on the clock yesterday. I tried selling the Lexus privately but no interest. Only £2,000 in p/ex against a 2018 Volvo S90 diesel for £19,000.
Main reason for changing is the fuel economy, rfl costs etc. Volvo not in he same league as the Lexus, but hopefully not too far off.
That's some mileage! Over 2x mine. Mine just ticked over 104k miles the other day. I would be interested in knowing your thoughts on a comparison between the LS and the Volvo in terms of refinement, comfort, and general quality. Clearly these are pretty old cars now but they still seem fairly solid. Some interior bits feel fairly cheap but they still work, and I think that's the Lexus ethos to be honest.Main reason for changing is the fuel economy, rfl costs etc. Volvo not in he same league as the Lexus, but hopefully not too far off.
I'm hoping mine goes through the MOT OK soon!
philipbrown123 said:
Traded my 2007 LS460 with 212K on the clock yesterday. I tried selling the Lexus privately but no interest. Only £2,000 in p/ex against a 2018 Volvo S90 diesel for £19,000.
Main reason for changing is the fuel economy, rfl costs etc. Volvo not in he same league as the Lexus, but hopefully not too far off.
How long do you think it will take for the £17000 difference to be made up with the fuel and tax saving? Main reason for changing is the fuel economy, rfl costs etc. Volvo not in he same league as the Lexus, but hopefully not too far off.
Jimmy Recard said:
philipbrown123 said:
Traded my 2007 LS460 with 212K on the clock yesterday. I tried selling the Lexus privately but no interest. Only £2,000 in p/ex against a 2018 Volvo S90 diesel for £19,000.
Main reason for changing is the fuel economy, rfl costs etc. Volvo not in he same league as the Lexus, but hopefully not too far off.
How long do you think it will take for the £17000 difference to be made up with the fuel and tax saving? Main reason for changing is the fuel economy, rfl costs etc. Volvo not in he same league as the Lexus, but hopefully not too far off.
If you're doing 15k/year I reckon you'd save around £2k/year in fuel, £500/year in tax, probably over £1k/year in servicing so that's at least £3500/year. So that's under 5 years, then you'd have the fact that in 5 years time the Volvo would probably be worth more than the LS460 too. So I reckon, in reality, probably 3-4 years maybe if doing decent mileage, which it sounds likely if it was on 212k.
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
And servicing too......
If you're doing 15k/year I reckon you'd save around £2k/year in fuel, £500/year in tax, probably over £1k/year in servicing so that's at least £3500/year. So that's under 5 years, then you'd have the fact that in 5 years time the Volvo would probably be worth more than the LS460 too. So I reckon, in reality, probably 3-4 years maybe if doing decent mileage, which it sounds likely if it was on 212k.
That's not too bad I suppose. Would the Volvo cost that much less to service? If you're doing 15k/year I reckon you'd save around £2k/year in fuel, £500/year in tax, probably over £1k/year in servicing so that's at least £3500/year. So that's under 5 years, then you'd have the fact that in 5 years time the Volvo would probably be worth more than the LS460 too. So I reckon, in reality, probably 3-4 years maybe if doing decent mileage, which it sounds likely if it was on 212k.
Obviously unplanned maintenance is a variable we cnt predict but I think I'd probably pin my hopes on the Lexus despite the extra mileage and age
Jimmy Recard said:
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
And servicing too......
If you're doing 15k/year I reckon you'd save around £2k/year in fuel, £500/year in tax, probably over £1k/year in servicing so that's at least £3500/year. So that's under 5 years, then you'd have the fact that in 5 years time the Volvo would probably be worth more than the LS460 too. So I reckon, in reality, probably 3-4 years maybe if doing decent mileage, which it sounds likely if it was on 212k.
That's not too bad I suppose. Would the Volvo cost that much less to service? If you're doing 15k/year I reckon you'd save around £2k/year in fuel, £500/year in tax, probably over £1k/year in servicing so that's at least £3500/year. So that's under 5 years, then you'd have the fact that in 5 years time the Volvo would probably be worth more than the LS460 too. So I reckon, in reality, probably 3-4 years maybe if doing decent mileage, which it sounds likely if it was on 212k.
Obviously unplanned maintenance is a variable we cnt predict but I think I'd probably pin my hopes on the Lexus despite the extra mileage and age
The risk is the steering rack.....
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
I'm not sure, but the Volvo will have a warranty for a short while at least. I'm not too sure what I'd budget on for servicing with the LS to be honest. I figured approx £1500/year plus a contingency fund was sensible, but it's currently proving to be much less but obviously still worth being sensible.
The risk is the steering rack.....
I think probably £1500 in a bad year but less in a good year, but I don't have any experience.The risk is the steering rack.....
I didn't know there was a steering rack problem actually. I'm guessing it's not cheap to sort!
They seem like a great car, but every model has to have something. I actually really like the IS220d that my brother has and they seem unbreakable apart from the head gasket, which apparently needs a new head when it goes
Jimmy Recard said:
I think probably £1500 in a bad year but less in a good year, but I don't have any experience.
I didn't know there was a steering rack problem actually. I'm guessing it's not cheap to sort!
They seem like a great car, but every model has to have something. I actually really like the IS220d that my brother has and they seem unbreakable apart from the head gasket, which apparently needs a new head when it goes
The 460s seem a very robust car. They have their faults but rarely anything big, even the air suspension doesn't seem too prone to issues and I gather the engines are solid. Radiators can fail causing coolant to go into the gearbox (hence I'm getting mine changed in a few weeks out of precaution). The steering rack is the big one, and it is a big one..... £5k to get Lexus to fit a new one. I didn't know there was a steering rack problem actually. I'm guessing it's not cheap to sort!
They seem like a great car, but every model has to have something. I actually really like the IS220d that my brother has and they seem unbreakable apart from the head gasket, which apparently needs a new head when it goes
Mine has had it replaced.... But it was replaced with a 2nd hand unit so I've no idea how long it will last but it's the risk you take I guess. If it fails I'm not sure what I'd do but for now I'll enjoy using it! I don't think the car would be worth much at all so it'd either be a case of scrap it or just suck it up, but clearly that'd mean keeping the car for a few more years to try and get some more use out of it!
The running costs for old lexus barges are especially low if you can do the work yourself.
With my UCF20 LS400 all the parts are still available (sometimes have to wait for it to be sent from Japan) and the pricing is at Toyota not Lexus levels now - bargegin!
It helps enormously that all the PDF shop manuals can also be downloaded from the https://techinfo.toyota.com - one cheap 24hr subscription (USD $20) and you can binge download all relevant info - just like Netflix but actually useful!
I work on the "free tools" philosophy - instead of paying the mechanic to do the work I buy the tools to do the job and follow the instructions. Each job I do gets easier as the tool collection grows, just wish my shed was bigger.
With my UCF20 LS400 all the parts are still available (sometimes have to wait for it to be sent from Japan) and the pricing is at Toyota not Lexus levels now - bargegin!
It helps enormously that all the PDF shop manuals can also be downloaded from the https://techinfo.toyota.com - one cheap 24hr subscription (USD $20) and you can binge download all relevant info - just like Netflix but actually useful!
I work on the "free tools" philosophy - instead of paying the mechanic to do the work I buy the tools to do the job and follow the instructions. Each job I do gets easier as the tool collection grows, just wish my shed was bigger.
Edited by F1natic on Monday 12th October 03:11
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