Palms

It's been awhile since i was here last, i"ve had a rattle for a few months now but could not find it until one day i had the roof open i pulled down the bar that sits at the front of the opening of the moonroof to find my rattle. It sounds like its coming lose or the something is vibrating against the metal bar inside. My next visit to the dealer should have this fixed i hope. Over time looking for this rattle i came across one thing i didn't know. The seat belt on the pillar is adjustable to your height, thought i would share this with you all.

palms

I have been using gold class in a cold bucket from day 1, it gives me the best clean. I am an ex panel beater/panter, this stuff really gives my black the shine it deserves. Some of you say you use a hose, isn't that allowed these days, i use a watering can to rinse.

palms

as i said already

im not going to do anything

im just curious as to whats the process for future references

Don"t forget you don"t have to take your car to a lexus dealer, if you know a decent machanic who is cheaper use him or her and make sure they stamp the books. Better to put the extra money saved into your pockets then theirs.

palms

Im guessing you're happy with the result, looks fantastic. I must admit looking at your car made me say wow it's gleaming with a great wet look. I know it's hard work but did you see the diference in colour change as you went throught he process? I did...

palms

Got no rubbing on mine with the 245/40s.... is you car lowered palms?

No it's not lowered, in this thread i have already mentioned the issue with my tyres on page 1 i think. I't seems that the Karlas have a different offset than the standard 18's on the sports model. For me to keep these rims i had to go smaller to stop the rubbing. I have thought about lowering it but to scarded too in case of a stuff up.

palms

What are your tyres? are they same front and rear?

No i have 235/40 on the rear and 225/40 on the front to stop the rubbing in the inner wheel wall.

palms

Yeh i'm concern about the gutters too but i recon if i the right tyres it should be ok.

Are yours the 18" oem ones?

I have the Karla avanti after market 18's

http://www.tyrepitstop.com.au/index.asp?pgid=56

palms

Found these on bigotyres.com.au site.

Looks extremely close to the oem ones.

http://bigotyres.com.au/showcase/index.php...products_id=348

You better watch the gutters when parking with these babies as they will stick out past the tyre. Mine don't but are flush with the tyre, grrr have already scratched them parking and i am anal when it comes to parking and taking care, one slip up like what i did and grrrr, damn it....

palms

You can take your car to any car mechanic that you trust to do your check up, just get them to stamp the books and its as good as going through lexus but cheaper.

palms.

Palms,

Hi Bell,

Were you offered the 5th dimension paint and interior protection package when you ordered your car?

If so,did you purchase it and is that what caused your paint to swirl when you washed it with the kit that you were given when you got your car?

I'd be very interested to know!

Cheers,

Scotty

I have a black is250 and have noticed the paint is very soft also!!

We were recomended to use a certain product to protect our car which will remain nameless and it completely swirled up the paint. I had to have it professionally buffed!!!

I was wondering if anyone else had noticed this, i will check out your detailing area right now. I'm sure you are just as pedantic as I am, and you have to be! Only the best for my baby!!

Good work!

Bell

Scotty i never got offered anything, i think it had to do with my knowledge of cars :) I said what i wanted, enough said. I will tell you this, i have looked at a product that will protect the paint better than waxes. There are a few detailers around using the product and to be honest it looks good on paper. I am thinking of doing it with our (new black) honda jazz first to see the out come before jumping inn, then again might just do it on the is250 :) I had some bird doop on the bonnet that i didnt get off because i missed it, now i have to buff it out, if i had this product i could be spending my time having a cool beer by the pool, enough said.

Here is the web site

http://www.infinityauto.com.au/index.htm

and another related to it

http://www.paintprotectiondirect.com.au/truth_paint.html

palms

Just adding to this i was thinking about getting my own girni from bunnings to use on my car. Some models allow you to get the water from a bucket as well as from the tap. Seeing that we are allowed to wash our cars from a bucket would this be the perfect thing to have in the garage for that sunday wash. Anyone think it wouldn't be allowed? Please comment.

palms

Hi people,

I am posting this only due to my experience in cars as i was once a panel beater /spray painter in my younger years. I have been doing a bit of research on the forums in the USA also with my own experience with my own car. This is for those people who really don't know about what you have bought or know about the paint on your car. The paint on the is250 is very soft compaired to older models, i think this is due to the type of paint they are using on this new models. It is said lexus used an environmentally friendly paint on the new models making it softer than previous model.

Here is a link in the usa, these guys are fanatics with their cars so you could learn something from them from their posts and recomendations

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...=paint&st=0

Also when you wash your car it's best you do it your self otherwise scratches will appear in no time. The best thing to do is go to your car lovers joint and use their gerni(high pressure water gun) to get rid of your top layer of dust and dirt before you hand wash your car with decent car wash, not the stuff you get from coles either.  I am talking about the cheap stuff from Coles catalogue. I wrote a detailed segment on how i detailed my car way back if your interested

http://au.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...?showtopic=3202

I won't go into detail here now, that's what the links for as it might sound anal to some but to a car lover it's a must to keep scratches to a minimun. The new lexus paint will take up to a year for the paint to harden, so be careful when you wash it. Just thought you should know.

palms

I would not be happy with them giving the car back in such state, did they took the car when it was already low on fuel? Either way i think they should either tell you before they took your car that there might be a cost inccurred when they return the car due to refuelling (refuelling cost), or they could just put some in as part of a good gesture.

I agree idc!!

The car was not low on fuel when they took it although 45min there and 45min back does use up a lot and I think if it was that low on the way back, the driver should have put some in!! Obviously letting the fuel tank get totally empty cant be good!!!

Thanks for your reply idc!!

Belinda

Hi belinda

Sorry to hear you have a few rattles, all i can say is keep taking it back, remember it's a very expensive car, one that should not have any troubles for years to come let along in the first 6 months. Put some pressure onto your dealers manager and if you get no satisfaction after being fair write a letter the owner of the dealership and get him involved. I actually had to in my case because not because the staff was not being nice it came down to one depatment didn't comunicate with the other in my situation. Now my car is fixed. With your petrol issue stand up and say to them, you owe me a tank of fuel for all the driving due to a fault with the car, it's not your problem it's got some issues. You have a case, so be nice and ask them, if it falls on deaf ears start to push harder and don't take no for an answer.

Good luck

palms

That looks ALOT like BMW wheels...but i'm not sure they'd look good on our cars.

i disagree it looks like the BMW, i did a search on the BMW's series, mmm i didn't see what you saw.. It really comes down to the person who owns the car, me at 42 i like a classy look to a younger fast look.

palms

are these your mags, also does the lexus centre cap fit into the mag? mine does...

if so they look nice

I am trying to find the best way to keep them clean mainly the front with the brake dust. I did see someone say put wax on them which i tried but didnt see any difference.

palms

How much did you pay for the wheels and tyres?

The dealer told me that only a couple of tyre makers (Brands) have the specs that would fit the lexus 18s. True or false?

The mags and tyres were thrown in when i did the deal :)

If you have the same tyres all round then i think there are only some types of mags you can use. Remember the sports luxury has different sizes front to back as per that chart i posted.

TYRES & RIMS IS250 Sports - 4 Door Sedan - 6 Speed Automatic

Front Tyre size 225/40 R18

Rear Tyre size 255/40 R18

Front Rim size 18 x 8J

Rear Rim size 18 x 8.5J

Some people have posted what is needed in regards to correct tyres in this subject, in a post way back a guy said a tyre place said no way to using the karlas (my mags) but as i stated they do fit when using 225's on the front to stop the rubbing.

palms

ok guys i am back with the latest.

The car is almost fixed, after almost 2 months of getting the car all it needs a small detail to get some swirls out then its should be 100%.

With my issue with the tyres rubbing, i quoted i had 225/40 all round but made a mistake, i had 235/40's. This is what was making the tryes rub in the front so i had some 225/40's put on the front and problems fixed. The chart below is of the sports is250 with it's dimentions, as you can see there are different sizes so having 18's is not an issue with the prestige. I only got 18x8's not a mix like in the chart. I took it for a drive up the f3 and boy this car really sits well on the road and great for overtaking when you need to moved in a hurry.

Some pics

TYRES & RIMS IS250 Sports - 4 Door Sedan - 6 Speed Automatic

Front Tyre size 225/40 R18

Rear Tyre size 255/40 R18

Front Rim size 18 x 8J

Rear Rim size 18 x 8.5J

palms

is it worth the extra money and waiting period for the 07 model?

im thinking about purchasing an is250, however lexus parramatta has told me theres to many 06 models that need to be cleared, would they drop that dramatically if i was to wait until the 07 models arrive and purchase the 06 model?

been told there are no difference or changes in between the 06 and 07 is this true?

Hi guys, with the 07 series i think they changed the arial to a fin type on the roof like the bmw.

palms

Your tyres are the same spec as mine 225/40's so i think maybe my pics are giving a poor indication of distance, not saying its bad but it must be the same as yours. Just a heads up mine tyres were only hitting the plastic inner wheel well not the gaurd its self.

Ok update on the rubbing of my avanti karlas, well got the new/replacement car last friday, entered the garage where it normally rubs and i hear nothing, then today went to the shopping centre to find it rubbing still. I picked up the car in the rain so i couldn't check out the the paint on my new baby so i did it when i got home to fine a dent in the passengers side door, a crazed spot on the boot and bumper bar that looks like when someone touched the paint when it was wet in production and a really bad detail to the effect that the residue from the tape that holds the plastic on the car from being shipped was still stuck on the car. Then to find that the butcher who tinted my windows cut the rubber in 2 spots on the rubber that holds the glass in. I am totally p.... off. The car is going back. I only spent 30 minute looking over it, god knows what else is to be vailed.

palms

Oh man,

you seriously have the worst luck Palms. I'm sorry to hear about your issues.

My brother ordered a new MX5 coupe recently and when he went to pick it up, I told him that the dealer will most likely say "hi, just come this way and we'll sort out your paperwork then take you to your new car". I told him to not accept that, and instead to inspect WITH A MICROSCOPE the car before accepting delivery of it. Sure enough, he finds a dent in the bumper and notes it in his delivery form so that the dealer has to fix it.

Good thing he did because the dealer is now trying to weasel out of his responsibility, but my brother has him by the balls! (has it documented and signed by the dealer that they will fix the problem to his satisfaction).

Ozis250...nice wheels! :)

Just to add to this frustrating issue, I have taken the car back to find out that they will get the dent fixed, fix the rubber which is not an issue but with the paint issue on the boot they tried to get me pay half of the detailing, mind you I asked for a guy who knows his stuff, remember the car not been detailed so I wanted it done right as it should have in the first place. I said a big no way of paying half and could’nt believe they have the nerve to ask, they would not budge so we agreed on their detailer, I was thinking lets give them a chance. Well guess what, when I asked the detailer the type of buffer he was going to use he looked at me like he had no idea what I was on about so I started to panic inside, I showed him the area of concern and he said I can't fix that, so off we went back the manager and he rang the guy I asked for in the first place and said this will come out of his pocket, like hello so it should. Did I do something wrong in a past life god, if so im sorry ok leave me alone 

palms

Hi ozis250,

Yep, I was aware of the 225 max width on the tyre, but there are so few choices out there at the moment in terms of campatible rims, and to be honest, some of the ones that do fit look absolutely shocking and given a choice you would almost leave the 16" granny wheels that come with the car..!

The minimum offset I've been told is suitable for the car is +40 depending on the rim..you might be ok with your OZ Racing rims but I would check around just to be sure because I've been getting so many conflicting reports.....however everyone agrees that +45 offset is the correct one for the is250, so that is the offset that I've been quoting when checking out rims..

The offset for the SSW Nirvana and Advanti Fluid are both +45...I tried to get the Advanti Karla's like Palms has posted previously but some places even refused to quote me on them because they said there is no way they are compatible unless you 'roll' the guards back to make them fit...which wasn't an option for me....I think this explains why Palm's wheels rub when you turn full lock and go down driveways etc?

I am getting 225/40 R18 Bridgestone G3's on my car for performance, low road noise, durability and handling...another good reason I chose them is that the Bridgestone Tyre centre where I am buying them will rotate and balance the tyres FREE OF CHARGE every 8,000km for the life of the tyre..pretty enticing deal....I hear the G3's look awesome with the SSW Nirvana....which by the way, looks very much like the new wheels on the 07 Subaru GT-R..

What ytpe of is250 did you order ?

I ordered the Prestige with Sunroof, tint and rear sensors in Granite. I didn't bother with the enhancement pack.

Hi ozis250,

Yep, I was aware of the 225 max width on the tyre, but there are so few choices out there at the moment in terms of campatible rims, and to be honest, some of the ones that do fit look absolutely shocking and given a choice you would almost leave the 16" granny wheels that come with the car..!

The minimum offset I've been told is suitable for the car is +40 depending on the rim..you might be ok with your OZ Racing rims but I would check around just to be sure because I've been getting so many conflicting reports.....however everyone agrees that +45 offset is the correct one for the is250, so that is the offset that I've been quoting when checking out rims..

The offset for the SSW Nirvana and Advanti Fluid are both +45...I tried to get the Advanti Karla's like Palms has posted previously but some places even refused to quote me on them because they said there is no way they are compatible unless you 'roll' the guards back to make them fit...which wasn't an option for me....I think this explains why Palm's wheels rub when you turn full lock and go down driveways etc?

I am getting 225/40 R18 Bridgestone G3's on my car for performance, low road noise, durability and handling...another good reason I chose them is that the Bridgestone Tyre centre where I am buying them will rotate and balance the tyres FREE OF CHARGE every 8,000km for the life of the tyre..pretty enticing deal....I hear the G3's look awesome with the SSW Nirvana....which by the way, looks very much like the new wheels on the 07 Subaru GT-R..

What ytpe of is250 did you order ?

I ordered the Prestige with Sunroof, tint and rear sensors in Granite. I didn't bother with the enhancement pack.

ozis250,

Rear sensors on the Prestige? Is that an option?

I havent had any of the dealers in Sydney tell me about that.

Ordered an is250 Prestige with 18" Lexus Mutispoke Wheels on Wednesday.

Would love to get Rear sensors if possible, the car looks to be difficult to reverse into a tight spot due to limited rearward view. How much are they?

Yep, Lexus of Chatswood offer rear sensors as option. For $600. But becareful as it's not the fully integrated sensors where you see the car display on the dash. It's just the beeping sound with no display. Very disappointing.

Anyway got my new car for 5 weeks now. Running 18" OZ turrismo rims with +40 Offset on 235/40r18 Dunlop D101s. No rubbing at all! Car handles significantly better when cornering (less body roll) and hardly any detriment to ride quality, only very slight more bumpy than the standard 16". Actually for the better and you feel the road and the steering seems have more feel too.

Hi guys,

Question for all who have purchased after market 18" alloys..

(1) how is the clearance between the wheel and front panel on yoru car ?..I have 18" SSW Nirvana alloys with Yokohama 103 Advan tyres (225/40), and there seems to be much too much daylight between both ! (about 4 inches+)...Palms, I saw your photos and it looks like the wheels sit really snug in the wheel well..I have also seen other IS250's with 18" alloys on the road and they too look great..I don't what is it with my alloys...I rang the insurer (VERO) but they won't alloyw the springs to be replaced in order to lower the body slightly. this can be done for $550 fully installed using Pedders springs)

(2) Does anyone know whether the sport suspension pack lowers the body or simply makes it a firmer ride ?...the specs on the LExus site seems to show that it doesn't lower the body...I rang Lexus but (suprisingly) they don't seem to know the answer !

hope someone replies because as much as I love my black IS250, the 18"'s still look like granny wheels and it is killing me !!

Your tyres are the same spec as mine 225/40's so i think maybe my pics are giving a poor indication of distance, not saying its bad but it must be the same as yours. Just a heads up mine tyres were only hitting the plastic inner wheel well not the gaurd its self.

Ok update on the rubbing of my avanti karlas, well got the new/replacement car last friday, entered the garage where it normally rubs and i hear nothing, then today went to the shopping centre to find it rubbing still. I picked up the car in the rain so i couldn't check out the the paint on my new baby so i did it when i got home to fine a dent in the passengers side door, a crazed spot on the boot and bumper bar that looks like when someone touched the paint when it was wet in production and a really bad detail to the effect that the residue from the tape that holds the plastic on the car from being shipped was still stuck on the car. Then to find that the butcher who tinted my windows cut the rubber in 2 spots on the rubber that holds the glass in. I am totally p.... off. The car is going back. I only spent 30 minute looking over it, god knows what else is to be vailed.

palms

Looks like the dealers finally have details.

Price is going to be around $960 (RRP) +or- for towbar and wiring kit , with about 2 to 3 hours to fit. This fitting time is far better than that of the GS. They are about 8 hours as they have to fit a oil cooler as well.

Now waiting for for parts to arrive at dealer.

I asked about the tow bar for my is250, i hope your sitting down.....i was quoted $1350 fitted, it allows you to tow up to 1500kgs. I must admit it was about the same price for my is200 5 years ago. By having the tow bar in place protected my car from car spaces and the odd bump from crap drivers, so i guess it paid for its self in the long run.

palms

Finally got an answer for this issue. When i was at the service centre yesterday i asked the guys if they had any news of my issue and said it was an issue with the earlier is250's but is fixed now with the current builds, so if you have this issue i was told they just need to upgrade the firmware in the remote and all is fixed.

palms

Thanks for that, but if you hold done the remote for 5 seconds all the windows come down as well. You just have to hit the remote twice to unlock all doors, thanks again.

palms

Palms.

It will be interesting to see what the issue is with your key. If the RF is not working, it is useless as even using the manual key to get into the car, you won't be able to start it.

Have Lexus done any testing on your RF signal and strength as well as the battery capacity. I am not sure what size battery or how they are fitted in the key fob, but could there have been some sort of connection problem. Have Lexus looked into the key fob?

I had no trouble starting the car after entering it with the key. Like i have stated the lexus service person told me there was an issue and were aware of it, maybe because of limited complaints nothing will be done on the spot which i feel is not on. When i get my new replacement car this month "well lets hope i do" i will see if the same issues happens in that area of concern. I will keep you all informed of the out come.

palms