Lexus Nerd

New recall soon to hit Lexuses in Aus, including 06 IS250:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/21/3044899.htm

Awesome!

What did you think of your trade-in price on the IS250?

- As your Lexus dealer probably didn't give you much room to move with the IS350 purchase price, did they give a generous offer on the trade-in value of the 250?

- Did you feel that the IS250 trade-in value has already dropped from what you thought the value might have been a few months ago, due to the release of the 350?

Thanks

That reminds me - back to novated leases ...

The purchase price you can obtain through a novated lease is important. If your salary packaging provider won't let you find your own dealer in order to get the best price, you may end up paying closer to list price and negate the financial benefit of a novated lease.

Having said that, the original question on novated leases was posted in the light of the recent IS350 launch, and we've already established that the discount on a private purchase of a 350 right now would be little, if any - so the above point only is only important to those who are looking to buy something else right now, or an IS350 later.

Fellas...

I've just updated my maps to V16 but am wondering on something

One of the other IS's I test drove had this audible bell sound when a fixed speed camera appeared on the map. I thought maybe my old maps were too old for this feature (was V13). Sadly, I've still got no noise with speed cameras, has anyone else got this going on theirs?

Cheers,

Dan

The locations of speed carmeras aren't preset by WhereIs (the supplier of the Lexus sat nav maps).

Version 16 allows you to manually mark address book entries with sound-linked icons so that, as you approach the map point, an audible sound is heard. My Lexus dealer was quick to give a speed camera location as the ultimate example of using this feature. Your test IS probably had some speed camera locations in its address book, which would have been pre-configured by someone. Speed camera locations aren't included in WhereIs' directory of points of interest, so you'll have to locate the speed camera locations on the map yourself and add the points to your address book, marking each of them with an appropriate icon.

If you already knew all that and are still wondering why you're not hearing anything as you approach the address book location, make sure you've pressed the "I Accept" button on the display panel. The sat nav function doesn't run at all until you've explicitly accepted the notice and disclaimer.

they look great when there cleaned (sorry my car was so dirty at the meet, ahaha)

And here I was, thinking that was their original colour lol

More pictures of the CT200h in F Sport trim:

http://theage.drive.com.au/photogallery/sydney-motor-show/lexus-ct200h-f-sport/20101015-16ml6.html

Thanks for the post Sapphire Cam. Yeah I don't expect much of a discount, but perhaps things are different, because I know they are doing deals and are experiencing a dip in sales of the IS, and the 350 isn't an entirely new model, just a different engined version.

I ordered my new 250 in May, and got <10% discount at a time when the factory bonus offer (forming part of the overall discount) hasn't been as good since. So I think 13% discount is unlikely at any time of the year. I agree with Sapphire Cam and others with respect to the likely timing of a discount on the 350.

Also, what's the go with Lexus finance? Good interest rates? I think I should look into a novated lease as I got FBT exemption (of around $10,000) due to where I work. Having never done it before, I'm not sure how well they work out.

Lexus Financial Services offered around 10.3% back in June - which is rather good for a specialist car financer, although some financial institutions (e.g. credit unions) might offer better. Lexus sometimes offers far better finance offers (<5%), but these appear to be just a form of factory bonus and are unlikely to be available with a newly-released model. But see what Lexus of Brisbane can offer you, as their last such offer was available across the entire Lexus range earlier this year, when such an offer wasn't available in other states.

The benefit, if any, of a novated lease will depend on (roughly in descending order of importance):

- How far you drive each year

- How much you earn

- Whether your employer will pass on the benefit of an input tax credit on the purchase of the vehicle to you

- Whether the salary packaging provider can offer a fleet-type discount on the purchase price

- The flexibility of the salary packaging provider:

-- Whether they will allow you to source the best finance deal from any lender you want, or whether you must use their finance company at their prescribed rates

-- Whether they will allow post-tax contributions to reduce the FBT liability (this is useful only in some circumstances)

-- How much of the service and maintenance items they are willing to package (especially fuel)

-- Whether any fleet-type discounts are available on service and maintenance

Most salary packaging providers can provide you with a quote to show you whether or not you'll benefit from their services. Just make sure their calculation considers all of the above factors, and that your own calculations consider benefits you may be getting if you DON'T go with a novated lease (e.g. a good trade-in price on your Audi).

Details finally avaiable on the Lexus Australia Website:

http://www.lexus.com.au/model/is350/

Price: Melbourne from $72,164 driveaway

NSW from $71,072 plus CTP

F-Sport (dis-lex-sic's pick) add $7350

I read with interest that there is a recess under the Emergency light button and you can use that with a small flat screw driver blade to ease the fascia out. Once it moves, you can grab the fascia with your fingers and it will come out really easy.

No such recess on mine. I believe it's found on some of the earlier IS250's, as the old US Ownner's Manual makes reference to that recess, but the 2009 Australian manual doesn't. (I just thought I'd mention this in case somebody stares at their fascia and asks, "What recess? I must be going blind ...")

cost?I just paid $600 for it.

No cost - still covered under the 3 or 4-year new car warranty. (Will have to check the paperwork to find out how far it goes!) :D

Huh? The standard care package only gives you the 15K service for free, not the 60K service. You must have obtained a bonus service offer (like what they're offering right now on new Lexuses).

cant u option ML on prestiges??

On the facelifted Prestige models, the ML is only avilable with the F-Sport, which Lexus defines as a Prestige "option package" rather than a separate grade ... a $12,500 addition on a brand new car (plus LCT and GST).

Putting larger tyres on the front would cost 10-15% more for a set of 4 (according to Phamish in April, using Maxx TT's). So it's a question of whether the extra tyre life from being able to rotate front-to-back is worth the extra upfront cost.

also, they gave me a Prestige in "baby blue" dunno the real name for the colour

had nav and sunroof, it was the face lifted one, but it had the 16" rims, i thought the facelifted ones came with 17's stock, but i guess i was wrong, lol

I've had a "baby blue" loaner from Lexus of Chatswood, too! It also had 16" rims ... I can only guess that they swapped the wheels to reduce tyre wear and replacement cost. I'm pretty sure mine wasn't a Prestige, though, because it had the ML audio system, and there's a very noticeable difference in sound quality to the system in my Prestige *envy*

Mind you, I didn't sit in the car as long as I would have liked to appreciate the sound ... the odour inside was almost as bad as in a taxi. If you did actually use the same car as I did, k2sty1, I assure you the smell was there before I loaned the vehicle ...

Version 16 directly from the publisher, WhereIs:

http://www.whereismaps.com/buy-map-updates_built-in-car-navigation_product.aspx?view=13&country=AU&device=88

Here's a little more info from another thread. It includes brief explanations ("fault[y] cam gear due to [a] design problem"), links to how a similar problem would be fixed on an IS350, and a video of an IS250 that was confirmed by other members to have the same problem.

http://au.lexusowner...?showtopic=9330

What i dont get with your theory LN is why is it smelt after you turn the car off ...

I don't notice it while driving either. That leads to a number of possibilities:

- Maybe the problem does have to do with hard driving, and that's what I'm doing.

- Maybe we are talking about two different issues and causes, and the rotten egg smell is always there for me, but I never notice until I leave the car, because I don't wind my windows down (and I don't have a moonroof).

- Maybe both causes are requried for the one issue to occur: perhaps it's a an alternation of fuel-lean and fuel-rich driving on high-sulphur fuel. The fuel burns rich not only on acceleration, but at low speeds whilst parking; hence the problem being noticed just after getting out of the car.

the rotten egg smell is actually due to exhaust after given a good run

it's a toyota/lexus thing

my rx350 smells like that too

even my mates camry and aurion

one thing to really watch out is the Camgear backlash noise

I just posted my theory on the rotten egg smell elsewhere on this forum.

I didn't mention the camgear noise, 'cause that was one of those early-model issues fixed by a recall ... hope I'm right?

I thought the rotten-egg smell had to do with this:

http://www.lexustsb.com/questions/199/TSIB+EG001-03+%28All+Models%29%3A++Sulfur+Odor+From+Exhaust

I have the same problem too, and I generally don't drive all that hard. I checked out the technical information on various fuels and found that BP Ultimate and Shell V-Power have relatively low sulphur content, whereas lower-octane fuels such as Shell Unleaded 95 have higher sulphur content. I figured that, since most of the enthusiasts here like to use good-quality 98-octane fuel - and I haven't previously seen the issue raised on this forum - the cause of the problem is as per the TSB, i.e., it's related to the fuel I use. I'm interested to know more about the theory of the problem being related to the resonator ...

The early IS models, including 2006, was subject to a number of recalls but, once the recall fixes have been implemented (as should be the case with any well-maintained Lexus), I haven't heard of any major issues.

Combining service bulletins with what I've seen on this forum over the past three months, there isn't much to complain about, and they're not mechanical issues:

- Front seat squeak

- Various rattles, e.g. in glovebox

- Not all iPhones work perfectly with console, either as phone handset or as an iPod

- Excessive dust from front original equipment brakes

- OE tyres wear out quickly and are relatively noisy

- Rotten-egg odour (currently being discussed on this forum)

One possible complaint involves steering pull and/or stability. Each of the few complaints appear to be slightly different, and don't necessarily point to a problem with the IS250 per se. IMHO, they may be one-off issues that are no less likely to occur to the IS than other vehicles, while movement in crosswinds or tendency to follow ruts may just be a by-product of having a rear-wheel-drive car.

If you get a model registered late in 2006, or one with an extended warranty, you should be able to get any of the mechanical, rattle or squeak issues fixed by a Lexus dealer.

Well done ... you'll love it.

The two legal ways to update your maps are:

1. Obtain the maps from WhereIs online for $295 (http://www.whereismaps.com/buy-map-updates_built-in-car-navigation_product.aspx?view=13&country=AU&device=88), then follow the instructions in your Owners Manual and/or hints on this forum site - carefully! - to replace the maps DVD yourself.

2. Get a Lexus dealer to do it for you. That will cost noticeably more (also discussed elsewhere in this forum).

Then there's the other way, involving sourcing the maps somewhere on the Net and writing the image to a DVD.

It's pretty hard to find an online brochure for 2006 or 2007 models that would show a comprehensive feature list for each of the three grades. Two places that might help are:

Old press releases: http://www.pressroom...0&kitID=76#1341

(Note that the word "IS250", without "Sports" or "Sports Luxury" following it, refers to what was later known as "IS250 Prestige".)

IS250 X Article: http://www.goauto.co...A25741D00028762

The specifications found in Red Book (http://www.redbook.com.au) also provide a reasonable idea of the differences between the three grades (and IS250 X), although I don't feel they are 100% accurate and/or might lack some detail (e.g. metallic paint is only mentioned as a feature for IS250 X, although we all know that it's a no-cost option on all grades). But it's still pretty good. On the home page, choose Make = Lexus, Model = IS250, Year = 2007, click Search, check the results you're interested in, then click "Compare selected".

oh, and i was wondering, is getting my tyres filled with nitrogen safe/good?

they said its gonna be 8$ a tyre at JAX Quick Fit at pymble

should i get em to fill it with nitrogen while im chanignt the tyres??

I thought we might get a few replies from people who've tried nitrogen. Never tried it myself, but here's what I've read ...

- The local automobile associations don't believe there's a safety problem, although they do question the value.

- Bob Jane aren't suggesting that the tyres last longer, but they have run a few tests which show that nitrogen-filled tyres offers better fuel economy. The amount of fuel saving depends on the tyre pressure and the brand of tyres.

- Nitrogen leaks from tyres at a slower rate than air. Therefore, the people who will experience the best fuel savings are those who are never bothered to check the pressure on their air-filled tyres, let alone nitrogen-filled ones.

- For those who manage to check their air-filled tyres regularly, the value proposition for nitrogen is more iffy. Assuming an average 2.5% saving in fuel (usually higher that that when initially filled, but decreasing slowly over time), a fuel price of $1.25 per litre and a rated fuel economy (on air-filled tyres) of 9.1L/100 km, you'll save $111 in fuel over the life of your tyres (40,000 km).

If you find someone who claims that they have seen their nitrogen-filled tyres retain their pressure (within, say 4 psi) over 13,000 km - such that you only have to refill your tyres with nitrogen twice before replacing them - it might be worth it. Somehow, I don't think this is likely since, apparently, nitrogen escapes from a resting vehicle at the rate of 0.7 psi per month.

My verdict: Don't bother.

I've just tried an iPhone 3G with iOS 4.0.1 - contacts transferred without a problem. So either specific versions (4.0, 4.0.2, 4.1) have problems, or there are other reasons for others' sync problems. (I assume we all have <1000 numbers/contacts?)

P.S. Best explanation I've seen for this problem: "You're holding it the wrong way!" :-P

I've been checking a number of Websites ... One thing is for certain: iOS 4.x has certainly mucked around with Bluetooth compatibility, not just USB connectivity. Users of a number of Bluetooth devices on a number of vehicle makes (Hyundai, Ford, Fiat, ...) have raised complaints with iOS 4.0 or 4.01, including syncing of contacts timing out after a while; some, but not all Bluetooth devices, have started working properly with the iPhone after the phone is upgraded to 4.1. This clearly shows a dependency between the iPhone's OS version and your chance of success in using Bluetooth with a car's phonebook feature.

It seems that choosing "Reset All Settings" on the iPhone, and re-pairing with the Lexus, might fix the problem if you had performed an iPhone OS upgrade since pairing the phone with the Lexus. But if it doesn't fix the problem - or if you have always used the one OS version on your iPhone - then it looks like you'll need to downgrade to iOS 3.x, or wait until Apple fixes the problem in a later OS version.

There is a known procedure for resolving steering issues with Lexuses (which suggests that steering complaints are relatively common):

http://www.lexustsb.com/questions/211/TSIB+SU001-08+%282008+LEXUS+ALL+MODELS%29%3A+REPAIR+MANUAL+SUPPLEMENT%3A+VEHICLE+PULLING+TO+ONE+SIDE+

I was thinking of checking the TSB's 24 hours ago, but I figured that your dealer would have already followed the steps in any TSB's. But I guess there's a possibility that they didn't. I second Sapphire Cam's suggestion - try another dealer who might hopefully do a better job.