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Personally, I think that you should just keep an eye on your pads every time you rotate tires.
I also know that most people don't do that themselves!
You're right, most people outsource You know what's funny? For being so hands on with my cars, I outsource my tire rotations to Discount Tire for one reason: tire warranty. I buy my tires thru them, and I want miles documented for rotations, balancing and winter tire swaps. That way if I come short on miles, all the supporting paperwork is there.
I do think it's good practice to check in on your car at regular intervals. It's saved me from having to spend way more money then I should have on regular maintenance. Unless I hear something unusual, for things I can't visually inspect at gas fill ups, I usually do the checks at my oil change intervals
My Genny has 187k miles on it and I've never replaced the pads. Almost all of my mileage is highway so I guess that's why. Just got new tires a month ago and they told me I still have 10% left in the front and 20% in the rear! I wonder what the record is for mileage before a pad change?
So little bit of a bump. Not much has changed with the car. I've been going back and forth between both cars trying to figure out what I felt was lacking in the IS-F. The car has definitely been getting some good usage!
One big thing that still bothers me about the F is the absolute lack of bass. It's absolutely horrendous!! I initially thought that the sub was blown, since the Mark Levinson subs are known to do that. I decided to test the sub out and everything checked out I began researching some options for subwoofers that are compact and give a mild bump in bass. I'm really licking the Kicker Hideaway, which is essentially a compact amplifier and subwoofer in one unit. I'm trying to use something compact to cut down on how much space the setup takes.
I'm thinking I'll take the plunge on this, unless anyone has any suggestions?
On another note, it's a little odd that the car gets any attention for being completely stock. I honestly always thought the styling was very subtle on this car and it never stood out compared to the 250 and 350 models from a distance, but apparently not Had a couple of instances where the car generated conversations on it's own I pulled up behind one of my coworkers as I was getting to work, and she later got curious enough to swing by my desk and ask me what kind of car it was. Turns out her husband is a car enthusiast who has done multiple restoration projects on classics so she has a sharper eye She literally said "yeah, I may not know as much about cars as my husband, but I can recognize the special ones"
I also got a flat tire and had to ride on my donut spare for about 6-7 miles. I was about a mile away from a Firestone and fairly close to my destination I'm honestly glad Lexus decided not to do a brightly colored yellow spare wheel like Acura I'm leaning towards putting pure summer tires (Michelin Pilot Sport 4S) on the summer wheels in favor of the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's that I'm still driving on. I drove the car in a downpour and the Sport A/S 3's don't exactly inspire confidence in a car like this... I'm hoping that at the rate I'm driving the car, I'll be thru these tires by the end of next summer
I'm open to suggestions on tires, but I've been extremely satisfied with the Pilot Super Sports on the RL, which is why I'm leaning towards buying their improved successor But I am open to suggestions on what alternate tires to research
I DD an IS350 of the same gen and the IS F definitely stands out due to its more aggressive bumper and those sexy fenders Plus hello... staggered quad exhausts I'm also rockin' Pilot Sport A/S 3's but living in SoCal, there's no such thing as "seasons"
Shieett not sure why I didn't follow this thread more often
Originally Posted by projektvertx
So I replaced the headlights. Surprisingly, the low beams are very easy to access and change on this car. The CBIs are a vast improvement over what I suspect are the factory delivered Osram XenEcos I pulled out of there.
I need to replace the headlights as they're getting far too yellow on my 350.. I'm not sure if the 350 also came with XenEcos stock but I'm glad you like the CBI's. Got any output shots plus where did you get them? My go-to is TheRetrofitSource but not sure if there's a cheaper source. Doing anything for the fogs?
Originally Posted by projektvertx
It was also my first time dealing with any cartridge type oil filter. I also bought a really neat tool to open the cartridge housing from eBay. Tool works like a charm!! It feels way more durable that the fluted type filter tool.
I have this tool that my friend that works at a Toyota dealership gave me that their techs use in the shop. It has a stamped TOYOTA logo on it so i think it's actually OEM
I DD an IS350 of the same gen and the IS F definitely stands out due to its more aggressive bumper and those sexy fenders Plus hello... staggered quad exhausts I'm also rockin' Pilot Sport A/S 3's but living in SoCal, there's no such thing as "seasons"
But I feel like you have to know with the IS-F! I had a guy with a V6 Camaro ask me what aftermarket bumper and exhaust I hadI dunno, to me all of it is more subtle touches unless you hear and see the car running.I feel like the difference between, say a base Challenger and Hellcat are way more pronounced
By the way, I’m so jealous you get cooled seats and I don’t
I won’t lie, I’m kind of mad I have as much thread as I do on the A/S 3s since I really want to replace them after driving 30 miles in torrential downpours with the. Lmao
But I feel like you have to know with the IS-F! I had a guy with a V6 Camaro ask me what aftermarket bumper and exhaust I hadI dunno, to me all of it is more subtle touches unless you hear and see the car running.I feel like the difference between, say a base Challenger and Hellcat are way more pronounced
By the way, I’m so jealous you get cooled seats and I don’t
I won’t lie, I’m kind of mad I have as much thread as I do on the A/S 3s since I really want to replace them after driving 30 miles in torrential downpours with the. Lmao
Oh man.. those cooled seats really make a big difference out here, I LOVE THEM. I hate that my TL doesn't have them so much that I prefer to drive the IS on longer trips and when it's hotter out. I'm sure you talked about it down there but i'm too lazy to scroll but did your new wheels come staggered? That's one annoying thing on the 350, I can't rotate my tires
Oh man.. those cooled seats really make a big difference out here, I LOVE THEM. I hate that my TL doesn't have them so much that I prefer to drive the IS on longer trips and when it's hotter out. I'm sure you talked about it down there but i'm too lazy to scroll but did your new wheels come staggered? That's one annoying thing on the 350, I can't rotate my tires
Yeah, cooled seats are awesome!!! The winter set is also staggered since I opted for OE spec so rotations are out of question here too lol
My go to is TRS on bulbs too. I might be paying a premium but at least I know they are authentic!! I’ll get some output shots tomorrow night when my camera battery is charged I love the headlight junkies group coupon lol
I don’t know if the Toyota fluted tool feels more durable than the one I bought from Advance Auto for the RL but thats my only complaint about those fluted one I have doesn’t feel thick/durable enough. I’ve already gone thru one. Granted I can’t conplain considering it costs like 6$ compared to 24$ for the one I got for the IS and it did last 5 years before I had to replace it lol
There's drop in LEDs for the IS?!?! . I love the ones I got for my mom's accord (Type H). I got them when they first came out hoping the Type H would fit the TL, but it didn't
You two should get a room and a pack of condoms, you lighting dorks.
Is the IS the new Miata?
I just went AS3 to SS on the front of the Caddy and I can tell you that they ride so smoothly...about rain, I had flipped the front AS3 which probably doesn't dissipate the water as well because that was the first time I hydroplaned in the Caddy...I've had the rear SS let loose a tad going 100 on the highway in the rain but only after I punched it to downshift as it hit 4th. Too much torx
Basically, unless you're on budget tires...I think that you adapting your driving style and keeping in mind you have power and RWD will mean more than what tire you get. Can't go wrong with SS all around though...I've found they last longer and are superior in every regard. I'll probably even toss them on my S2000 when the time comes. Damn, they are on closeout for the S2000 right now.
At least your car came with the black spare tire that the later years had. When I had to use my spare I had to drive around on the ugly yellow one for 5 days while they ordered my replace for my 20s I had on the car.
As far as tire recommendations I always love the Continental DW not to be confused with the DWS. They are now called the Extreme Contact Sports. They seem to get almost as good reviews as the Pilot Super Sports but can save you $500-600 per set. I always ran them on the F until they stopped making them in the size I needed for my 20s and it is what I run on the V now.
Not sure what changes they've made between the AS3 and the AS3+ but they're fantastic in heavy rain on our Flex.
Same for pretty cold temps. I think it was in the low 20s when we went through Flagstaff earlier this year (still snow off the sides of the road, damp but not icy roads) and they were great there too.
Looking at the Michelin release on the AS3+, it looks like it has improvements in wet/dry/light snow grip & braking.
Output shots as requested I didn't realize I had a dirty lens until after I got home and looked at these on my laptop
Originally Posted by rockstar143
You two should get a room and a pack of condoms, you lighting dorks.
Is the IS the new Miata?
I just went AS3 to SS on the front of the Caddy and I can tell you that they ride so smoothly...about rain, I had flipped the front AS3 which probably doesn't dissipate the water as well because that was the first time I hydroplaned in the Caddy...I've had the rear SS let loose a tad going 100 on the highway in the rain but only after I punched it to downshift as it hit 4th. Too much torx
Basically, unless you're on budget tires...I think that you adapting your driving style and keeping in mind you have power and RWD will mean more than what tire you get. Can't go wrong with SS all around though...I've found they last longer and are superior in every regard. I'll probably even toss them on my S2000 when the time comes. Damn, they are on closeout for the S2000 right now.
I think driving style adaptation is the biggest take home message there TBH. I just found the AS3 to be lackluster. With the SS on the RL, I can never get the ABS to kick in. EVER. Even now that it's at 7/32nd's. At this point it's just a waiting game until these wear out. Hopefully sooner rather than later, and if not, I can expedite the process
Originally Posted by CCColtsicehockey
At least your car came with the black spare tire that the later years had. When I had to use my spare I had to drive around on the ugly yellow one for 5 days while they ordered my replace for my 20s I had on the car.
As far as tire recommendations I always love the Continental DW not to be confused with the DWS. They are now called the Extreme Contact Sports. They seem to get almost as good reviews as the Pilot Super Sports but can save you $500-600 per set. I always ran them on the F until they stopped making them in the size I needed for my 20s and it is what I run on the V now.
The RL has the same ugly yellow spare. I got so annoyed putting that on the car when I had a flat 6 months ago!! I swear, they do that to motivate you to get it fixed ASAP!!
I've been told the Continental DW6 is a fairly good tire, and have been steered towards the Extreme Contact Sports as well. I've heard, and seen from my friend's first had experience that those become harder and harder to balance as they wear... Unfortunately, the only continental option that Tire Rack shows is the Contisport Contact 5 SSR...
Originally Posted by thoiboi
I buy in bulk at Costco and re-use them five times before tossing.. that shit lasts me at least 5Years
Amateur, get on my level
Originally Posted by 00TL-P3.2
Not sure what changes they've made between the AS3 and the AS3+ but they're fantastic in heavy rain on our Flex.
Same for pretty cold temps. I think it was in the low 20s when we went through Flagstaff earlier this year (still snow off the sides of the road, damp but not icy roads) and they were great there too.
Looking at the Michelin release on the AS3+, it looks like it has improvements in wet/dry/light snow grip & braking.
Interesting!! I don't know why I'm finding these tires so lackluster. I didn't feel they dissipated rain well at all...
@projektvertx Do you plan on doing any RSB changes to the F? I'm getting sick of of the extreme body roll on my IS350 and thinking about upgrading to the F Sport RSB or the F's one
Sport Contact isn't bad but it has less grip than Pilot Super Sport and the bright side is they last longer than PSS, I got them on my IS300 before. You can find some PSS at good price since they will be soon superseded by Pilot Sport 4S.
@projektvertx Do you plan on doing any RSB changes to the F? I'm getting sick of of the extreme body roll on my IS350 and thinking about upgrading to the F Sport RSB or the F's one
LOL no suspension upgrades are slated for the car.
Originally Posted by truonghthe
Sport Contact isn't bad but it has less grip than Pilot Super Sport and the bright side is they last longer than PSS, I got them on my IS300 before. You can find some PSS at good price since they will be soon superseded by Pilot Sport 4S.
I actually priced out a set of PS4S's during the Discount Tire black friday sale, and I'd end up paying ~1150 for a full set. Unfortunately, they can't secure the PSS in my sizes but that was my first thought too! With the way I'm running thru the current tires, my guess is I'll be at replacing my all seasons by the time next Thanksgiving rolls around.
So an uneventful update! I've been slammed with work the last couple of months and haven't really had much time to do anything but drive my cars. I will say this, 10,000 miles later, the car makes for a surprisingly good daily driver! The car is VERY easy to live with. Fuel economy is actually reasonable, if not better than the RL in most scenarios for me. I took my car to lunch with some co-workers and one of them said this about the seats, and I quote: "No offense, but this seat is like being hugged by a fat chick. It's really comfortable!". It's still very strange to me how quick the car goes from low key to loud. 6 months later, the car still gives me plenty of smiles per gallon
I secured a set of '08-'09 wheels at a really good price. I turned a profit on the wheels I previously had and decided to refinish the '08-'09 wheels since I got them for dirt cheap. The initial plan had me doing the refinish prior to winter tire season, but work prevented me from doing that :/ So I have to push off the refinish until the summer and ride thru the winter with curbed wheels. A couple of points after driving on the Pirelli Sotto Zero's in the snow: They do perform very well! I am dissatisfied with the noise levels. I'm used to Michelin X-Ice quiet and these are a little too noisy for me. But considering these were the only winter tires available in an appropriate speed rating, beggars can't be choosers LOL. I did take the car to work in the most recent snow storm that hit, and let me tell you, the car handled it VERY well! @CCColtsicehockey you were right, this isn't half bad in the snow! It's amazing what a good set of snow tires does to a car...
As far as mods go! I did put in an order to Morimoto LED fog lights over black friday. I'm not sure when I'll install them, but I do now have them! I also bought the Kicker Hideaway, and I have installation scheduled for the middle of next month due to holiday travel plans Hopefully as we get into next year/summer, I'll be able to check off a few mods off my list!
Awesome update man, glad the car is treating you well. I hear you on the loud snow tires, if you think those are bad you should try out the Blizzaks... Can't you get X-Ice with the same speed rating? According to tire rack, the X-Ice3 tires have the same speed rating as the Sottozeros. Also, I hate the feeling of driving on marshmallows for 6 months but it sure beats the feeling of skidding into a tree.
Bump. Who says you can't drive this thing in snow storms?
Surprisingly, snow mode does wonders for this car in terms of blunting the power on the car. I know I sound like a broken record, but as fun and power as this car is, Lexus made it VERY easily to live with on a daily basis. I'm thankful I don't have a full family yet, otherwise rear space would be a limiting factor for me. I took the car in for a transmission fluid exchange, and the dealer pissed me off because in the process of checking my air filter, they broke one of the tabs for the airbox and denied responsibility Plus side, it shifts much smoother now!! The tech showed me what he took out of the transmission, and to be honest, 75K miles later, it looked REALLY good. So maybe there is something to this "lifetime" fluid. I'm still going to be changing it at regular intervals, but nevertheless....
Good news is I now have WAY more time to tackle some of the projects I put on the backburner. I'm looking into installing the Kicker Hideaway and I've read several suggestions to install a digital signal processor. Now I put one in my RL, but quite frankly, I'm leaning against using one JUST for a subwoofer in this car. I was hoping some of the audiophiles could chip in with a suggestion here?
wait wait… ISF for snow driving and RL for garage queen? you are doing it wrong lol
I'm going to be buying a cheap beater/pass time car sometime this year to address this problem. Interestingly enough, I'm thinking of getting an ES300 beater for work since I can write off some mileage for work. And let's be real, it's not financially sane to drive either of my car at 54 cents a mile reimbursement LOL
Originally Posted by CCColtsicehockey
Glad to see you are having as good time with the ISF in the snow as I did. It is a very capable car with good snow tires on it.
Indeed it is!! I was quite shocked during the first snow fall with the Pirellis. I'm planning on replacing the A/S 3's with PS4S over the 4th of July
Originally Posted by thoiboi
Did you do diff fluid as well or just trans?
No, just the trans. The diff fluid was done when I bought the car I still can't believe it's been 10 months since I've bought the car!
I'm going to be buying a cheap beater/pass time car sometime this year to address this problem. Interestingly enough, I'm thinking of getting an ES300 beater for work since I can write off some mileage for work. And let's be real, it's not financially sane to drive either of my car at 54 cents a mile reimbursement LOL
Well, this is why I end up with a problem of having 5 cars lol. I am seriously thinking about a 2010+ ISF or may be a 08-09 if the price is right as a garage queen.
Well, this is why I end up with a problem of having 5 cars lol. I am seriously thinking about a 2010+ ISF or may be a 08-09 if the price is right as a garage queen.
If you buy an 08-09 watch out for the water pump and see if it has been replaced already or if it is currently leaking. Another thing if you do 08-09 find either a used suspension from another year if you want stock ride height or replace with some coilovers cause the 08-09 ride is so bouncy and bad.
If you buy an 08-09 watch out for the water pump and see if it has been replaced already or if it is currently leaking. Another thing if you do 08-09 find either a used suspension from another year if you want stock ride height or replace with some coilovers cause the 08-09 ride is so bouncy and bad.
Water pump for sure.. that gen IS was bad for it.. I was able to buy all the parts for my 07 IS350 on ebay (all OEM) and replaced the water pump in 4 hours or so. It's much easier unlike the J series transverse engine as it's all right in front.
Water pump for sure.. that gen IS was bad for it.. I was able to buy all the parts for my 07 IS350 on ebay (all OEM) and replaced the water pump in 4 hours or so. It's much easier unlike the J series transverse engine as it's all right in front.
It is not a bad replacement on the V6 but apparently a pain on the V8. Mine was replaced 3 times.
If you buy an 08-09 watch out for the water pump and see if it has been replaced already or if it is currently leaking. Another thing if you do 08-09 find either a used suspension from another year if you want stock ride height or replace with some coilovers cause the 08-09 ride is so bouncy and bad.
I did alot of research on the MY ISF.
1. Basically the 07-09 MY has issue with WP and it should be fix if the part was manufacture after 2010.
2. I drove a 09 ISF awhile back and the suspension stiffness is par with my TL-S (however you can swap 2011-2014 suspension) my concern is that 2010 and up has softer bushing as well (is this correct?)
3. MY 08-09 does not has LSD and 2010 and up has LSD and being 2010 swap suspension from 2012 along with EPS ECU from a 2012 to improve steering feels. Also how to disable that artificial brake LSD once the LSD installed?
4. ML amp loves to blow out, and the question is IF I sent it out get redone will the problem occurs again?
5. Valley plate leaks is a surprise as well and it does cost $1600-$1800 for the fix, it will eventually happen to every 5.0 Lexus motor (ISF, RCF, GSF and LC500)
I like the RCF but despite being more power i think the ISF is more driving focus car, no fancy electronic to fiddle with, no fake engine noise pump into the car and yet it reliable, if anything but the ISF shame is that interior. I used to own a 01 IS300 and that cloth insert seat suck when bought used, in the 2011-2014 MY it only come as 2-3 options with full leather.
If I am missing anything else please feel free to chime in, I would love to heard from both of you guy.
1. Basically the 07-09 MY has issue with WP and it should be fix if the part was manufacture after 2010.
2. I drove a 09 ISF awhile back and the suspension stiffness is par with my TL-S (however you can swap 2011-2014 suspension) my concern is that 2010 and up has softer bushing as well (is this correct?)
3. MY 08-09 does not has LSD and 2010 and up has LSD and being 2010 swap suspension from 2012 along with EPS ECU from a 2012 to improve steering feels. Also how to disable that artificial brake LSD once the LSD installed?
4. ML amp loves to blow out, and the question is IF I sent it out get redone will the problem occurs again?
5. Valley plate leaks is a surprise as well and it does cost $1600-$1800 for the fix, it will eventually happen to every 5.0 Lexus motor (ISF, RCF, GSF and LC500)
I like the RCF but despite being more power i think the ISF is more driving focus car, no fancy electronic to fiddle with, no fake engine noise pump into the car and yet it reliable, if anything but the ISF shame is that interior. I used to own a 01 IS300 and that cloth insert seat suck when bought used, in the 2011-2014 MY it only come as 2-3 options with full leather.
If I am missing anything else please feel free to chime in, I would love to heard from both of you guy.
The ML amp isn’t really so much of an issue as the sub. All ML subs have a tendency to just blow out. My dad had to replace his ML sub on his LS because it blow and he has it set all the way down LOL.When I first tried the audio on this car, I legitimately thought my sub was blown until I physically saw it moving normally. Hence why I’m upgrading to more bass
The other issue that I’m planning for is cracked headers. That also seems to be a matter of when, not if. And the infamous toe out issue under braking which can be resolved with FIGS or RR racing bushings, but that’s a chassis issue with all 2IS cars.
I honestly can’t wrap my mind around an RCF. It just doesn’t do it for me tbh. The ISF just feels more... raw for lack of a better word.
In all all honesty though, if you are considering taking the plunge, for what it would cost to upgrade the suspension, replace the diff and address the infotainment issues, that already puts you at what a 10+ costs anyways, so I would just spring extra for those years
Originally Posted by teh CL
Driving high hp RWD V8's in the snow FTW...
Once you get a taste of the power, it’s hard NOT to! I know you know what I mean
08-11-2018, 09:59 AM
You know what's funny? For being so hands on with my cars, I outsource my tire rotations to Discount Tire for one reason: tire warranty. I buy my tires thru them, and I want miles documented for rotations, balancing and winter tire swaps. That way if I come short on miles, all the supporting paperwork is there.
I began researching some options for subwoofers that are compact and give a mild bump in bass. I'm really licking the Kicker Hideaway, which is essentially a compact amplifier and subwoofer in one unit. I'm trying to use something compact to cut down on how much space the setup takes.
Had a couple of instances where the car generated conversations on it's own 
I pulled up behind one of my coworkers as I was getting to work, and she later got curious enough to swing by my desk and ask me what kind of car it was. Turns out her husband is a car enthusiast who has done multiple restoration projects on classics so she has a sharper eye 
Plus hello... staggered quad exhausts 
151% 
