Sold Dollywobbler's Lexus - £SOLD

[dollywobbler]

More Lexus action. Contains Fudge.

 

[rantingYoof]

You do sacrifice the practicality of having a ski-hatch and folding seats for that wonderful subwoofer and stereo system.

 

And the heated rear seats don't work either, unfortunately. As all four are non-functioning it may just be a fuse?

LS400s didn't have many TADTs but the heated seats failing was one of them.

[dollywobbler]

The switches light up, so that doesn't suggest fuse to me. Sadly, I think they're just knackered.

[Pillock]

If they're on a relay, then the switch could light up but the dead fuse would be on the high current side

[loserone]

The light lights on my driver's one which doesn't work (the rest all work perfectly)

[Bren]

Pissing your pants sat in the back gives the same effect. However on long runs the whiff may be an issue.

[dollywobbler]

I think I'll mostly just not worry about it. Big V8 engines seem to generate plenty of heat. It's fine.

 

Oh, and judging by how well it's demisting, the air con must be working too. Bonus!

[egg]

I think you really might be experiencing 'peak car' here...

 

The fleet has a very complete feel at the moment - classic, city car, waft mobile and mpv (sort of)

[dollywobbler]

Yes, I think so. Honda is all the MPV we really need, bar the lack of towing ability. It's still a pleasure to drive, even after the Lexus. Quite amusing that our city car has never been near a city since I bought it in Liverpool though! It's actually crap around town, with a horrific ride and stall-happy, no-torque motor. It's far better blasting around the Welsh hills.

[dollywobbler]

Tomorrow, I'm going to drive 300 miles in the Lexus, with a cambelt change in the middle. Sadly, I've discovered that the CD autochanger doesn't work (Err-21) but I have loads of cassettes, most of which I haven't listened to for years, so all is good. I have a working aerial now too of course!

 

Sussex sees the start of quite ridiculous capers (of the non-driving kind sadly), so I'll try and update on Thursday for that.

[Heidel_Kakao]

How long is the cambelt change due to take out of interest? I imagine access is not too terrible on one of these.

[dollywobbler]

How long is the cambelt change due to take out of interest? I imagine access is not too terrible on one of these.

 

Book time is 3.5hrs I think. Access is still pretty bloody terrible. There's not a lot of room in that engine bay. I'm not sure if the rad needs to come out, but as we're doing water pump, perhaps that's no biggy. Fresh coolant will be good to have.

[twosmoke300]

Bring an old jap car every m6 bolt involved in the job will most likely break too

[dollywobbler]

I can't say I've had much trouble on Jap stuff, bar the screw holding the dizzy cap of the Bluebird in place. Don't get me started on British and French stuff though, where bolts are seemingly designed for one use only, and that doesn't include the undoing aspect. 

[dome]

CD changer was fine for me. Have you got the CDs in the right way up? They go in shiny side up from memory

[rantingYoof]

CD changer was fine for me. Have you got the CDs in the right way up? They go in shiny side up from memory

 

Yes, thinking back this caught me out too first time around. I had to Google it and quickly realised I'd put the CDs in the wrong way around. It's a bit counter-intuitive.

[dollywobbler]

Ah, that could be it. Should have read the manual! Ah well. Next time.

[dollywobbler]

10am

 

New belt. Chunky!

 

1315hrs

 

Which left the engine looking like this.

 

So, SO glad I didn't attempt this job on my driveway. We've only had one seized bolt (hydraulic tensioner, it snapped) but plenty of signs of previous bodgery. Bolts with partially-stripped threads through overtightening, and a water pump held on with so much sealant you could have done without bolts.

 

Still need to chuck in fresh fluids and filters once it's back together, then a 200-mile proofing run. It's a good job I like it. Had another two-gear kickdown moment this morning. This thing is so quick it actually scares me... (in a good way).

[SiC]

10am

 

New belt. Chunky!

 

1315hrs

 

Which left the engine looking like this.

So 3 hrs 15 minutes in it was dissembled, leaving 15 minutes of the book time remaining!

 

What was the condition of the old belt like?

 

Going by bodgery and previous marks of someone else being there, is it likely that the belt has been changed before?

[dollywobbler]

Old belt was ok. Clearly old, but not cracking. Aux belt was pretty tired though. Genuine Toyota belt, but water pump had a plastic impeller.

 

We currently have a problem with a snapped tensioner bolt, which is merrily eating time.

[Guest Hooli]

Have you tried putting some PVA in the mix & bodging it?

[dollywobbler]

Bolt drilled out, hole tapped. Now we can finally crack on with putting it back together. I planned for this to take an entire day. Wisely!

[gadgetgricey]

Did pop into the car park to see if you were lurking to say hi, offer a cup of coffee but no-one there,

However was nice to see a lovely early blue RX-7 and white Supra.

 

Glad its all sorted, for when you sell it on to me though

 

However I think you'll be keeping this one as you seem quite fond of it.

[dollywobbler]

Did pop into the car park to see if you were lurking to say hi, offer a cup of coffee but no-one there,

However was nice to see a lovely early blue RX-7 and white Supra.

 

Glad its all sorted, for when you sell it on to me though

 

However I think you'll be keeping this one as you seem quite fond of it.

 

We were there until gone 7 but unfortunately, they've recently had some wheels nicked, so keep the main door closed. 

 

Anyway, I'm VERY annoyed with myself. I filled up at Dudley, then hit the motorway, and cruised down to Sussex at 70mph. Then did some running around in Sussex today, which left me with over half a tank. I stuck 34.6 litres in, having covered 227 miles, and the sums are 29.79mpg!!

 

Rats. I was aiming for 30. If I hadn't enjoyed myself a couple of times this morning, I would have achieved it! Or I could just round it up. 

[Supernaut]

Use the wipers less.

 

Me and 17-Coffees tested this scientifically* in his one somewhere on the M6. When the wipers are off, and tucked behind the trailing edge of the bonnet, the on-board instant MPG readout increased by one whole MPG!

[richardthestag]

We were there until gone 7 but unfortunately, they've recently had some wheels nicked, so keep the main door closed. 

 

Anyway, I'm VERY annoyed with myself. I filled up at Dudley, then hit the motorway, and cruised down to Sussex at 70mph. Then did some running around in Sussex today, which left me with over half a tank. I stuck 34.6 litres in, having covered 227 miles, and the sums are 29.79mpg!!

 

Rats. I was aiming for 30. If I hadn't enjoyed myself a couple of times this morning, I would have achieved it! Or I could just round it up. 

 

you should be annoyed, staaaaag with 50 year old v8 design and strommies on the top will do 29.6 at a steady long 70mph crooze

 

 

top MPG that the Jaaaaaaaag dreams about! It does 26.4* regardless

 

*indicated on the dash comp, I dare not fill the damn thing up and strain the rear suspension

[dollywobbler]

you should be annoyed, staaaaag with 50 year old v8 design and strommies on the top will do 29.6 at a steady long 70mph crooze

 

 

top MPG that the Jaaaaaaaag dreams about! It does 26.4* regardless

 

*indicated on the dash comp, I dare not fill the damn thing up and strain the rear suspension

 

I once got 26mpg out of a Rover P6BS, so I clearly do have an economical driving style (I just don't slow down).

 

Use the wipers less.

 

Me and 17-Coffees tested this scientifically* in his one somewhere on the M6. When the wipers are off, and tucked behind the trailing edge of the bonnet, the on-board instant MPG readout increased by one whole MPG!

 

Nae rain last night! That was pleasant too. Much as I love a bit of pantograph action, not so much at night. There was fog though. Thankfully, it didn't drop much below streetlight height. That could have been very unpleasant.

[Guest Hooli]

 

top MPG that the Jaaaaaaaag dreams about! It does 26.4* regardless

 

 

 

My old XJ40 would show 26.6mpg on a long run, exactly what the book said it should do. Worked out to within about 0.2mpg correct to manually checking it too. Only accurate trip computer I've ever had.

[rantingYoof]

Honestly, let's think about this. A 22yr old V8 which, to be fair, hasn't had the easiest life over the last couple of years, and as the previous owners fitted a High Performance* eBay Tuning** Chip I imagine that it didn't have a particularly easy life before I owned it either.

 

A 22yr old V8 that's been worked hard, and may be running a richer mixture because it's got air-leaks or something.

 

And it's getting nearly 30mpg.

 

For some reason I want to line up every dull finance-spec 1.6 and 2.0 diesel owner who bought them to do 5k per year around town and project, in Comic Sans for maximum effect, 'THIS IS WHAT YOU COULD BE DOING'.

 

 

There's a point there somewhere. I think it's 'another V8 is on the horizon for me'. Yes, that.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

My memories of these from the 70's , was that there were always a couple at every football match you saw on the telly.

 

So maybe DW will be allowed on the touch line at Aberystwyth Rovers next season.