Lexus Nerd

You mean the one that sold on 5 June and relisted today, elsewhere in Melbourne, for $23,000 more? 😄

Hi Affan, Congrats, fellow GS F owner! Not sure how many members here own them, but you'd be one of just 141 in Australia 🙂 1. After some 9 years after its introduction, the Enform app finally works smoothly with Lexus infotainment systems. That said, I'm sure Android Auto offers more. Check out Lexart Australia on Facebook - they're based in Seven Hills and import Lexion units from Korea that integrate with your GS's existing wide-screen display. 2. Lexart Australia also offer TOM's, Novel Racing and Apexi exhausts.

Due to changed safety regulations, the just-updated IS as well as RC and CT will stop selling in Australia in November: https://www.news.com.au/technology/motoring/motoring-news/lexus-cuts-three-models-from-australian-lineup/news-story/d45d4b473a20dd4383a9e439e137a8e4

Congrats on your black GS F! Such an awesome car. Of course, I’m biased with my own black GS F with front PPF. Enjoy!

Welcome, Glu! Hope you find the club useful. We also look forward to you imparting your knowledge and experience with so many Lexus models.

Welcome to the club, Snowcone! Enjoy your new ride. Hope you get some time during the festive season to familiarise yourself with many of its features.

Welcome to the Club, Michael!

Hi CHASKE1, Welcome to the Club. That's not a lot of k's after 11 years - you've done well to find one like that! And your first car - congratulations! Firstly, as far as "imminent checks" go, let's see what's public knowledge on what to look out for: https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/lexus-is-used-review-1999-2014-32015 Hmm ... All generic tips for used-car buyers. Nothing of note. https://www.drive.com.au/used-car-reviews/used-car-review-lexus-is250-20052010-20130909-2tflz It mentions issues with: Windscreen clips and fading LED needles. I'm not aware of either issue. Bluetooth connectivity. Well, if you can successfully pair your smartphone, then you don't have the problem. Malfunctioning entertainment system. That such problem has been occasionally reported here. Toyotas and Lexus cars are renowed for mechanical reliability; if something's going to fail, I put my money on the electronics. Not much you can do, as far as a mechanic checking the system as part of preventative maintenance. Numerous recalls - see note on mechanics below. That leaves two issues commonly mentioned in this forum: 1. Carbon build-up. Search for "buildup" on this forum, and you'll find quite a few threads about the topic. Symptoms include a shudder on startup on a cold morning, increased fuel consumption and decreased performance (although you won't know the latter two for sure until you've owned the car for a while). An upper engine clean is the most commonly recommended remedy; either get your mechanic to perform it, or DIY using Subaru upper engine cleaner. In terms of prevention, opinion is divided. Some recommend using a premium oil; personally, I recommend following Lexus' instructions, which is a semi-synthetic 10W-30 oil - with less viscosity modifiers, it's less likely to burn off under high temperatures and leave carbon deposits. Some also recommend flooring the accelerator from time to time; I'm not sure if it helps, but it can't hurt. Apart from the rotten egg smell. Which leads me to ... 2. Rotten egg smell. Some say it's because of the dual OEM catalytic converters; others say it's the OEM resonator. Replacing one of these has seen mixed results, but replacing the entire mid-pipe section with e.g. Invidia seems to do the trick. Search for "smell". If it annoys you, but you're looking for a low-cost solution, note that the smell is worst when you accelerate strongly after a period of conservative driving; so the cheapest solution may be to avoid driving conservatively! 😄 I don't have cheap mechanics to recommend - perhaps others here do. You may be well served seeing a Toyota dealer at least once - they are slightly cheaper than Lexus dealers, and should perform any outstanding recall fixes for free. Under normal circumstances, the 75,000/5-year logbook service is one of the most expensive, as the fuel filter beneath the rear seat needs to be replaced. Check your logbook to see whether this has been done yet; if not, save up and be prepared to get the service done soon. You have two choices; either choose a Toyota/Lexus dealer who will know how to do the job, but will charge accordingly; or find a mechanic who might not know how difficult the job is, who will underquote but offer a fixed price quotation, yet will (hopefully!) still do the job well while saving you money. I hope I haven't put you off your purchase - the numbered issues above are relatively minor, and it may be just the one scheduled service that will hit your hip pocket for years to come.

I believe you'll find the headlight level is not meant to be adjusted by the owner. The level is automatic, "according to the number of passengers and the loading condition of the vehicle to ensure that the headlights do not interfere with other road users." If you still think there's a problem with the level, take it to your Lexus dealer.

Hi Rory and Marrauder, Have you taken your vehicle to your dealer's service centre? As with any infotainment issues, the dealer may already be aware of the issue and could perhaps resolve it by updating the firmware.

Love the TOM’s mods you’ve added, Wei!

The beauty of this ‘luxury’ brand is that, if it’s in your car, it will actually work. Lexus doesn’t quickly jump into implementing features that only work half the time. They were the first to introduce a self-parking feature - in the SC430, circa 2000. Now, while some of the cheapest cars on the market offer it, Lexus doesn’t offer it at all. Why? It’s not worth having it if, very occasionally, it results in a collision. I’m born and raised Australia, and am not of retirement age. Yet, Siri on my iPhone can’t recognise what I’m asking half the time. I don’t miss Lexus adding Siri or Android Auto to its infotainment system. By far, the simplest way to navigate somewhere is to type the destination in the Enform app, then selecting the destination after you start up your vehicle. Having said that, you may as well try the latest goodies if there’s any chance of getting them. Perhaps you can visit your Lexus service centre and complain that your infotainment system is occasionally resetting itself while driving. I’ve encountered this problem with Lexus/Toyota vehicles as far back as 2005. They will most likely update your infotainment firmware to the latest version, in the hope that the “problem” disappears. You never know, the “Enter an address” feature might just appear after such an update ...

I almost completely agree with Dutchy - Destination Download is great. Anyone who complains about using Remote Touch for entering destinations (particularly journos) hasn’t discovered Enform. It beats both a joystick/touchpad OR a wheel. I do wish they went back to using HERE Maps instead of TomTom, then I’d say Destination Download is “brilliant”. Downloading the TomTom maps is painfully slow. Fuel Finder is also good, but it shows the latest prices for service stations that have closed down (either for renovations, or permanently). If, in an area you don’t travel through often, you see a price that’s too good to be true, it probably is. In general, I’m glad that Enform uses my phone’s 3G/4G SIM instead of requiring the car to have its own SIM. But the lack of apps compared to the US, and the fact that it’s not a seamless user experience between Enform and the main infotainment interface, is a little disappointing.