A Bit of Center Console USB Charger Cleanup

 Inspired by the cigarette socket USB charger thingy I got for the GT-R, I purchased another but in the standard black color for the Lexus - the blue anodized one was almost twice as expensive - and since this is hidden away anyway...

Same USB-C charging cable as the one in the GT-R (there were 2 in the package)

Ever since I got the car, I had used a rather large cigarette socket charger that had two regular USB-A sockets, into which I plugged in a USB-A to USB-C cable.

What a mess

After installation of the new one, I realized it is so short that I could shut the cap!

But with two cables plugged in - one USB-A for the cell phone charger, and the USB-C to Lightning and USB-C for guest phones...

Now I can actually put stuff into the center console like drinks!

Here is a closer look at what I removed

I guess it still works, so I won't quite throw it away just yet...

Suspension Upgrade + LC500! (Part 1)

Ok ok so I have been very very bad about posting updates on this car - my excuse is that my free time is spent blogging about my GT-R, and getting used to a new job I started in May.  Oh and I was overseas for a few weeks too, back in March.

Excuses aside, after I returned from my trip in March, I decided it was about time I did something about the car's ride. As many know, the early IS-F cars were criticized for having a harsh ride, while some people claimed they got used to it, or that it was the price to pay for the sporty nature of the car.

The problem for me was, I did not want to purchase another set of Ohlins like I have on the GT-R - which as a result was driving more smoothly and more comfortably than the Lexus!  But, while the Ohlins DFVs are superb, they require rebuilding every 2 years or 20,000kms. For a durable car like the Lexus (i.e. Toyota), this was not going to work.

Further, as some of you remember, I been given use of a GS-F as a loaner - and I loved the way that car rode.  Some asking around revealed that the GS-F uses dampers made by Sachs.  Then, I read on the ClubLexus forum that someone had replaced their 2008 IS-F OEM shocks with those from a 2012 IS-F, which also happen to be made by Sachs!  

So I knew a swap could be done, and further, these parts were OEM and thus not as expensive as aftermarket Ohlins! And no need to rebuild! So win-win...

My dealer agreed to do the swap, but told me they could not extend the car's warranty to the shocks, only the warranty for the shock itself would be available. Not a big deal. So I went ahead and ordered, and a few weeks later got the call!

Nothing special about these cars other than the new car smell...

Lexus hospitality can't be beat!

While the mechanics worked to install the suspension, the dealer decided to give me taste of what to expect.

"Go have fun!" they said!

Unfortunately, it was all for nothing. Because a few hours later the dealer called and told me that they had only ordered the shocks and NOT the springs! Oh and something called a bump stop needed to be ordered as well.

Obviously, being the first to try something in Japan means that you have be very patient.  Or, have a sense a humor about the situation, or both.

In any case, I returned to the dealer somewhat disappointed, but then soon forgot about it as I spotted this car, one of the first ones in Japan!

Trust me, looks WAY better in person!

Hard to tell with the black leather, but the interior is ALL leather...and GORGEOUS!

Nice little touch there

My advisor was particularly proud of this touch - the 3-D effect LED taillamps! Hmm, maybe an idea for the GT-R? Lol.

So this initial visit wasn't a total loss - I got to see the new LC500 (and got a free car wash. Oh and got to drive the GS-F around all day...)

Full Detail!

Back in May, I took the Lexus into RAPT, the closest detailing shop to me. Kabe-san, the owner, has taken good care of me over the years with my GT-R.

My main goal was to have the car professionally polished with all minute scratches removed, and the protection (the "glass coating") was secondary, because I was planning on using Zaino like I always do to get the maximum shine and protection.  It turns out this was the right thing to do, as the particular glass coating he used, the least expensive Echelon glass coating product (compared to the top of the line Echelon Nano-Fil product he used for the GT-R), was not very good at having the water "bead and run off" like it did with the GT-R. Hydrophilic, not hydrophobic I guess. He also did the interior as well.

Anyway, some photos from when I picked up the car.

I also asked him to repair some leather that was fading, right along this seam.

This is the tool he used to remove dust and dirt from the holes in the seat

Nice and shiny!

He polished the headlights as well!

I told him not to bother with the wheels because they are scratched up, but he polished them anyway

As before he was kind enough to post some pictures up on his blog.

Here they are...amazing the difference in camera quality lol...

Showing how he removed the seats to vacuum underneath.

Now, photos do not do the car's paint justice. Hopefully I'll be able to put up some photos in daylight soon. Before that, however, I have some actual mods too....

Takata Airbag Recall, Part 2!

So it turns out that, with respect to the latest Takata airbag problem, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MILT) is taking matters into their own hands.

On May 27, MILT published this, which is basically the same information as I posted in my previous post regarding NHTSA and American Toyota's efforts on the Takata airbag recall (that the IS-F is subject to recall):

This is basically a schedule on how MILT will begin issuing recall notices for affected cars.

Then today I got an email from my dealer apologizing for basically not really understanding what I was upset about.  It turns out that today, Lexus Japan posted the following:
https://lexus.jp/recall/2016/recall_160601.html

Hello, yes there is a recall...

Listing all models of the IS sold in Japan subject to the airbag recall.

Interesting for me was, over 4 years they only sold 2638 IS-Fs in Japan??

Yep that airbag assembly thing

What is most interesting is that Lexus Japan says that replacement parts are likely to be available by mid-August. Perhaps it's the low number of cars affected, but that timing seems much faster than what is going on in the USA.

For me, I'm just not going to drive with passengers in the front seat for a while...

Do You Smell That? Nope, I Don't Either...

Buying a used car means, no "new car smell."  That, I understand. And yet, to me somehow the car, when I checked it out in Tokorozawa before buying it, still seemed to retain the hint of someone else, I think.  Not sure how to describe it, but it's not a bad smell. Just like a presence, kind of like a hand me down shirt.  Even though Kabe-san at RAPT later reassured me that the car smelled like any other Lexus IS, I'm still not convinced.

So I began to do some research, and ended up buying one of these even before I took delivery of the car.  It wasn't until after a few days with the car that I learned that the IS-F actually has a built-in "Plasmacluster" ion generating function in its A/C.

First, a quick review on how this "PlasmaCluster" system is supposed to work, from Sharp's Australian website:

Plasmacluster Ion technology is an original Sharp sanitising technology that purifies the air by emitting positive and negative ions. Plasmacluster Ion technology deactivates suspended airborne mould, viruses, dust mite allergens and bacteria. It attacks a wide range of odours including  pet, cooking, garbage and cigarette smoke. 
Positive and Negative Ions : Deactivates airbourne allergens, bacteria, mould spores and viruses.
Positive and Negative Ions : Reduces unpleasant  odours at molecule level.
Negative Ions : Refreshes the air by replenishing it with negative ions.

 Plasmacluster Ion Technology  :

• Reduces suspended allergens and floating mould spores with positive and negative ions.Plasmacluster Ions are helpful in deactivating  allergens caused by dust mites and in deactivating mould spores that can cause mildew in the home. Sharp Air Purifiers and Ion Generators help to improve the quality of the air you breathe. 
• Reduces suspended viruses with positive and negative ions.Plasmacluster Ions break down and remove projecting spike-shaped proteins of suspended viruses such as influenza, reducing their effects.
• Neutralises odour-causing molecules with positive and negative ions .Plasmacluster Ion technology helps reduce the source of a wide range of unpleasant household odours including cooking, pets, garbage and cigarette smoke odours. 
• Freshens the air with negative ions.Using negative ions, Sharp Air Purifiers and Ion Generators help to clean and refresh the air. Sharp’s range of Air Purifiers and Ion Generators release negative ions creating a “feel good” atmosphere similar to naturally occurring environments like a rainforest or near a waterfall.

So what does this really mean? I really wasn't too interested in the first two bullets, more in the second two about neutralizing odor and freshening the air.  Can I really believe this propaganda?

First, this is not an ozone generator, which, despite its effective smell reducing technology, is now widely accepted as being hazardous to one's health. And it's not a HEPA filter either (although the ISF has a "pollen mode"... I will have to research that).

Some articles do say there is a small health risk associated with OH hydroxyl radicals (aka PlasmaCluster), but when one carefully reads these articles, you can see that they are usually trying to sell a competing product. I would also argue there is a risk to DRIVING so a small risk from hydroxyl radicals is not going to keep me from trying to use the unit to eliminate smells in the car.  Because, once those smells are gone, then I no longer would have to use the PlasmaCluster?

******
So I wrote the above soon after taking delivery of the car.  I used the Plasmacluster and I think it helped but it took a full detail, inside and out, for the car to regain a true "new car smell."  I had actually done the chemical clean:

From: http://www.earth-chem.co.jp/top02/car/kuruma/mukou.html

As well as applied these Zaino items for leather surfaces of the car:

photo courtesy of: http://www.lazaino.com 
Zaino Z-10 is supposed to bring back the most authentic "leather" smell.  
In Japan, most Japanese cars with leather interiors purposely do NOT smell like real leather, 
because apparently the Japanese don't like that smell. 
I beg to differ so I plan to see what I can do with the Zaino.

And both helped, to some extent.   But as I will blog next, the detail that Kabe-san at Rapt did, was what really made the difference, although I wasn't as happy with the results as I had with my GT-R.

 Stay tuned!

GS-F Test Drive!

So when I dropped off my IS-F for its 6 month inspection, I took a quick look at the following cars:

The interior looked cheap. Same materials as used in the IS-F? Expected better from a GS!

The look is growing on me. Still think the rear quarter is weird though.

Turbo model! Curious to see how this drives...

 In any case, the next day I went to pick up the car:

And saw this monstrosity...

 But the highlight was when Ishikawa-san pulled this out of the garage:

Check out that license plate!!

Ok so I'm not as well dressed as Ishikawa-san. But very happy!

Forget to take a photo of the ultra-clear heads up display the car has!

Lots more legroom. Love the color actually!

Bit surprised that a real harness could not be passed through...

Same basic engine means, the car feels slower and less nimble than the IS-F

Looks much better though, I think.

Especially with these LED headlights!

Why they kept the brakes on the IS-F black....

Even from the rear, looks great. Hey, real exhaust pipes!!!

Everything in the car is much more refined than the IS-F, as would be befitting a GS sedan, and the power is fine. Not as urgent as the IS-F, but then again we are hauling around another 400kg I think.

What I was really impressed by was the ride quality - Sachs dampers apparently, the same manufacturer as that which supplied the later model IS-Fs.  I may have to eventually replace the early OEM Tokikos with the later model OEM Sachs in my car.

Meanwhile, I have a couple of mods coming up soon....stay tuned!

Trunk Interior Lamp LED Conversion

So in continuing to update the OEM lighting of the ISF, one light that seemed noticeably (and pathetically) dark to me, was the trunk lighting.

Here, at night, the OEM bulb lights up only the rear edge, you can't see what's back there deep in the trunk...

There are lots of options - sure I could find and use many of those LEDs found on Yahoo Auctions and such, but I wanted an easy to fit, and also one that actually was brighter than the OEM incandescent bulb.  So this time I turned to LEMS, known here in Japan for their Lexus specific tuning parts. They had a prepackaged, LED version of the trunk light module - so it would be a quick and easy swap out - no need for me to take my trunk light out and replace the bulb with LEDs.

It's plug and play. I didn't even open the instruction book.

Once you pull out the assembly (from the right side), the assembly hangs down like this. OEM bulb.

One clip is all that holds the assembly in place. Unclip the old, and clip on the new LED assembly.

Instantly - much better. You can see the details on the ski pass-through (compared to the first photo above)

Here is a photo my DSLR took in auto mode with the OEM bulb - the shutter stayed open longer than in the LED photo below, suggesting lower light intensity

Photo by the same DLSR - you can see how the LED provides much sharper detail around the rear shock assemblies and the edge of the rubber mat.

So now, I think I am addicted to these newer tech LEDs... the technology has improved so much since I experimented with LEDs on the GT-R.  Not sure what my next mod will be but perhaps there are other LED bulbs that can improve the IS-F...