Hello CL community,
Picked up an '06 350 in Tungsten Pearl from a private seller for a great price. She's got 160k on her and right off the bat the tpms light was on. So went to Discount Tire and all 4 sensors were dead so got those replaced. Front passenger wheel bearings were shot so got those replaced. Other than that my mechanic said no further immediate fixes were needed and she was in good shape for her age.

Previous owner didn't get the sticky dash problem taken care of and I've read that the recall is only valid for 10 years so I guess I'm out of luck there. Discount said because of the staggered set up that the rears will wear out approximately twice as fast as the fronts. And to be honest the 40 series comes with a cost in a rougher ride then I'm used to. In order, whether it's tires or the car overall, my priorities are ride comfort, mpg and performance third.

So I'm considering going with custom wheels just to get to a non staggered set up that will allow for proper tire rotation and therefore longer tire life. And going up to a 50 series for a smoother ride. Was thinking a set of 245/50/18's. Any opinions on above mentioned possibilities?

And would love to hear information from others with 150k + on their 350's so I know going forward what I should keep an eye on mechanically. Thanks for reading and look forward to the responses.

 

Welcome. Your tungsten pearl almost looks like white pearl. She also looks to be lowered and that could possibly be the source of the firm ride.

 

Congrats on the new ride and thank you for visiting us for your TPMS sensor needs, Getnbzy!

Your IS need needs to maintain a tire height stagger of at least 1/2" front to rear in order for the TC to function properly. With that being said, you won't be able to run the same size tire on all four corners.

You can improve ride quality some by bumping up to a taller tire and one solution would be to move to a 17-inch wheel/tire combo (taller sidewall), but again, you will need to maintain the staggered tire height of 1/2:" front to rear.

 

Check the service records to see where the car was serviced primarily and if it was at a Lexus dealership check with the dealership to see if the previous owner was put on the waiting list for the dash and door panels.
I bought my IS last month and the dealer replaced my dash and door panels last month after I called to see if the previous owner was on the waiting list and they were.

 

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions I appreciate it.
A few more things I was wondering is I'm not sure what oil the previous owner was running but do you guys recommend synthetic or something else ?

And I know the fuel door says premium fuel only but is that mandatory or just recommended? Only asking because if the previous owner ran mid-grade or below would it make much difference to start using premium now at 160 k ?

 

I second the ride height as a primary factor in ride quality. Take a look and see what you have for dampers and springs. That would a good starting point before new wheels and tires. Heck you might have adjustable coil overs and could raise it a bit so you have more travel, but chances are the spring rates are simply too high for your liking.
JM2C but the stock wheels are pretty strong compared many aftermarket wheels so there is that.

As for fuel, if you want the best performance you need the best fuel your can afford. This engine wants to run the ignition advance up and if it detects a knock/detonation it pulls the timing back and you will notice a loss in both performance and fuel economy.

Oils these days are pretty good. That is your call. I personally don't see a need for those high mileage blends and would avoid that. Here are some maintenance items you might peer through.
fsport-s-is-350-running-list-of-service-and-maintenance-diy

 

I've always run Mobil1 5w-30 full synthetic.. You can find it on sale like clockwork every 3 weeks or so at your local auto parts store.

The car calls for premium fuel so you should definitely run it if you can afford it, but since you favor MPG as one of your priorities, trying both fuels might be the best option and see which one gives you better mileage vs cost. Premium burns cleaner that is a known fact, so if your going to get rid of the car in 3 years maybe run mid-grade. You know what I'm sayin.

I've had my michelins now for about 5 years only summer driven and they are still in great shape, fronts and rears.. buy some decent tires with a treadlife warranty if you can.

 

Bought my 06 350 in white, 144k, just this Sunday too

 

I run mobil1 5w30 full synthetic high mileage. I’ve been using for 30k miles and it consumes 1/2 quart in 5k miles between changes.

 

Okay thought of some more questions...
I have the beige/tan leather seats and they look dirty. I don't know how long they've been like this but is there a leather cleaner out there that would be recommended?

And my CD Player only plays a cd for a short time and then stops and the word "check" shows on the display. Thinking of trying a cd lens cleaning disc first before I go a more expensive route. I'd prefer to keep the stock head unit if at all possible but since it already is limited by it's phone only Bluetooth I may have to go aftermarket if I can no longer play cd's.

And lastly it came with a carfax but after browsing through it I didn't see a timing chain replacement. If I can't confirm that it's been done should I be nervous because I'm at 160k ? And should I get it done ASAP as I've heard when they fail your engine is TOAST.
Thanks in advance for the knowledge.

 

Get an account on Lexus drive. Once you enter your vin it will tell you if there are any open recalls. It will also give you all the service records from Lexus.

 

timing chains do not need preventative maintenance/replacement
staggered tires do not have tread warranty because they cannot properly be rotated
try compressed air into the cd slot