Cotswold Pete

I have a rattle, ever since handbrake cables replaced. Cannot trace it so far,but wonder if it is the heat shield. Also had rear UCAs replaced about 2 years ago, does not seem to make any difference to handling, and I was not suffering un-even wear, but got picked up in MOT, so had them done. Having front disks/pads/shims etc replaced next week to hopefully cure brake snatching and a bit of rumble from pads. Been quoted £355 all fitted (OEM parts), seems like a reasonale price compared to what ATS charge me 4 years ago just to replace rear pads. Slowly working on getting the LS back to running as smooth as one can get a 200K miles motor running.

I am not so sure this will be the case, as battery technology changes rapidly at the mo. Try buying a OEM grade battery for 10 year old mobile phone or DSLR, and you are more than likely to end up buying a less robust Chinese copy which keeps it charge for as long as it takes a cup of tea to cool down. I wonder if at some point we we start to see independent battery specialists popping up to maintain the Pruis or 600 as a classic car??

I would probably steer clear, unless the service history is exemplary. But with body-work needing attention makes me wonder how loved the car is, or as Martin says just treated like a work-horse until its a bit knackered. Batteries I assume just slowly die due to age as much has anything else, so for that reason I would be nervous, in fact nervous of any future electric car when it starts getting to around 10 years old or more due to battery degrading. I think in the last few years battery tech has moved on a bit, but the 600 is using older tech (I assume). All this makes me wonder what happens when the only cars we can buy are electric, because IMHO electric cars are as advanced as the Ford Model T was to the first Petrol engined cars.

Here is an idea!! How about an owners swap club. I have just done the Cotswold to Wirral run two weekends in a row, using a variety of roads to avoid the M5/M6 car park on fridays. Wide variety of roads from 'Smooth as a baby's bottom' to 'more ridges than a ploughed field', along 'top dressed a few years back and now looking like the road has measles', and up and down like a roller-coaster'. Most of the time my 400 handles it well, but some surfaces seem to be as noisy as you like. I would love to have done one weekend in my 400 and the next weekend in a 460 just to compare notes. I wonder what I would choose, as I love the shape of the 460 (just) over the 400 But mainly I love my 400 as it has all I need, and most people are shocked to see a 18 year old car (in not too bad a shape) and able to pull away like a rocket when needed.

Very nice - car and holiday cottage. Looks like it was a lovely sunny day as well. What more could one ask for.

Most petrol and diesel tanks at garages will have a small amount of water in them (some more than others). Usually not a problem, as even when I worked in a garage many moons ago, it was by a river and subject to flooding now and again, and we would have to check for water ingress, and never had a problem. But looking on Web plenty of reports of water damaging engines. Fingers crossed that is all it was

Wonder if could have been some cr*p in the fuel that caused a hiccup, fingers crossed that it does not re-occur.

Sounds like a car just used now and again to run down to Tesco Express. So the paintwork probably not too bad, and interior looks pretty good, just sounds like a bit of work cash would get it back to roadworthy.

Best of luck, I had similar problems when fiddling with front lights, but was able to reach with hand and pliers to get things back on track.

Maybe check engine oil, most likely not related to problem, but once had a Renault where engine light came on even though oil light did not, yet it was the oil level that was problem causing rough idle and naff acceleration at times. I know a LS is not a Renualt, but worth checking.

I assume the ECU is generating some codes that you could get checked out by garage with right kit. Rough engine at idle could be a number of things, and getting battery checked out is usually quick (and free), but having run with failing batteries a few times, I found they upset the alarm but never had Engine Check light come on even with battery in death throes and a 200 mile journey ahead of me. Might be worth looking at cleaning throttle body, though had two cases where as dirty as you like, LS stalling and up and down like a Yo-Yo at idle, but never have engine light come on. Best of luck getting it sorted.

Cor blimey scarier than the mother in law when she sits in the middle seat.

Sounds like a nice way to use up some petrol, wish I had the time to undertake such a magnificent tour as my experience of working in Dublin, Shannon, Belfast has exposed me to a small amount of the beauty of the Emerald Isle. Agree that cars and walls are not a good match, and neither is an LS fitting snugly in it's parking bay when other drivers around cannot seem to park a Micra (other smalls cars available), with scuffing the LS. Been using T-cut a little more than usual this year. At least one of the owners had the courtesy to leave a note and an email, but T-cut and elbow grease got 99% of scuff out. I wish I knew what my previous garage (no longer in action) fitted to wipers, they were not OEM, but 2.5 years on still working brilliant, and I am aware a 19 year old pitted windscreen is going to wear the blades a little worse than a brand new screen.

If only there was an LS estate, then that would have been the car for all dog lovers.

Have just had Maxxis Premitra fitted to front (Still got Nexen on rear - due to be replaced after Xmas). Had them done for £170 fitted. Thrupp Tyres near Stroud always seem to get tyres for a good price. Noise, they seem to be on par with Falken spares for a week, though they appear to have a softer sidewall, so though grip is good, it does seem like you roll a little more on hard corners. They are summer tyres, but in wet seem fine, and never found the LS any good in the snow (just drive like a granny when it does). I would add a very mild amount of tramlining which I never got with Falkens or Nexen, or maybe it is just me getting used to slightly different straight line behaviour. Rolling resistance seems okay, still find myself creeping up on car in front when foot off the gas. Only been on for 200 miles, so way to early to say about wear, but I got 28K out of Nexen Blue, though the front wore through the edges (to the cord) even though I had 3mm left in center (care has been fully aligned twice in last 3 years). Does seem to be harder to get 225/60/16 and do always need to remind tyre depot not to fir weights where their marvelous computer says, as it always rubs the caliper.

Sounds like you do not need to go to Longleat to have animals try and vandalise your car!

Good to see there are some nice examples of earlier LS models, though mostly a little pricey compared to what you can get. I guess in years to come prices at this level will be normal as good examples get rarer. I would still want to poking about underneath to check for rust etc.

As far as I know having using compression of the engine (by shifting up) does give you more control, though I never slam my LS about enough to need it, though in my days of owning SRi and such like was forever dropping into 3rd on corners at 70plus, to make sure if i needed to brake or slow, taking of the pedal to engage brake made a difference. Not being an engine expert, I would have thought the V8 is low compression, so engine braking not the same as you get out of a 2litre tuned up hot hatch, but be interested to see what experts on forum say.

I wonder if not having passengers (that often) means the seat moves a little more and works loose (on our lovely pot-holed roads) due to not being pinned down by human backside!!! On the squealing brakes, I get that from time to time (less now I have Pagid rather than Blueprint), and have been told the shims look okay, but I would think after 20 years the shims are a little compressed, so not quite doing the job they did when brand new.

According to this link there are a fair few of the Lexus range with no spec for towing Towing capacity Looks like even hitching a trailer to go to the tip might not be allowed, if insurance is invalidated. My LS has tow bar fitttings, (I just do not have the hitch fitted), were on there when I bought it, and never used it, but at least I have the fittings to put a trailer plaet for when I put bikes on back. Maybe the 400 was designed to everything from work-horse to luxury car. Seem to me if I ever buy a 460, i will need to keep the 400 as well!! Personally towing caravans is anathema to me, as I think (possibly wrongly) the wear on brakes, suspension etc, is not a good thing in the long run.

I might give it a go if I wanted to pick a fight every day on the way to work😎

Only ever seen two LS600 once on M5 about a year ago, and previous to that (also on M5) about 3 years aog. Only see 460 every now and again (430 a little more), but LS400 usually see one of two a week, mainly because I think there is a bit of a concentration in my neck of the woods. Always nice to see another driver who appreciates the quality of these cars

have read it has drag coefficient of 0.28 or 0.29 which is better than 911 which is about 0.32 Explains why it has such good mpg. I would think more modern cars are better as with computer CAD systems you can pre-model drag (etc) before you even cut the first bit of steel, where as the LS was being put together well before computers and computer software were up to the job they do today.

Have used manual on really long hills (such as the A39 between Porlock and Lynmouth), as you do get a bit of brake fade if you rely soley on brakes. I have to descend the W near Minchinhampton every day on the way home from work, and I do it with gusto most days, and my brakes are lasting way more than expected (though they do get blinking hot) As said the LS range seems to have low rolling resistance, and I do find a lot of the time when 'coasting' you have to keep an eye on car in front as it seems the LS creeps up with ease.

Not sure if this previous post has some ideas for you to consider https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/108258-horn-not-working/?tab=comments#comment-958146