Titch LS

I'm sure as Asda don't produce it, and it meets all the specs, it will be absolutely fine in the engine of an LS. Asda buy in huge bulk and pass on the saving. Shell, Mobil, etc., don't.

I wanted one of those great looking Jags until I compared forums and that made me plum for an LS. Glad I did too. Nothing has actually gone wrong on the LS for the last 5 years and that's on a 16 year old car. Still think Jags are good looking cars though.

I know of two older C-class Mercs both of which gave trouble with their autoboxes, (plus other expensive things). Lovely build quality, but no long-term reliability.

Apart from location, Car Insurance is very much related to age and driving experience. Being of late middle age and having many years NCB is what gives the cheapest rates as you are deemed to be a less risk-averse driver. Then of course as you reach old age, up it goes again!

Looks great, same colour as mine, but mine has the standard (non DHP) wheels. I use Autoglym Super Resin polish; once dry, easiest and shiniest to use ever. Unlike most polishes, it goes on really well in bright sunlight on warm paintwork. Fantastic stuff.

John, I've had this problem recently too, so I replaced the pollen filter,(easy Job on an LS). One thing I've found though, and this applies to any car; I never use the Recirculation button without the A/C being on, because when it is raining, being in Recirculation mode without A/C switched on will guarantee you a quickly fogged up windscreen. Recirculation mode is only safe when it's not humid outside or it's not raining. In fact I found that the A/C works better with Recirculation switched on. Having only outside air to the vents i.e. Recirculation off, also stops fogging up.

Ron, A failing battery is the more likely cause (but not the only one). I've had the same lights come up before on my motor whenever voltage is only slightly too low, (even though the car starts fine). New battery cured the problem. Also, check the output of the alternator; should be good though, they seem to last for ever. You should see around 14 volts with the engine running. The VSC and Trac lights should go off after a few miles once enough voltage is restored. I've learned that these cars need their electrical supply to be at its peak at all times.

There's a 1,000,000 mile LS400 in America. It would take years to manage that in this little country. I believe the mid 1960's Volvo P1800 that holds the world record (3,000,000+ miles) is still going (again, in America). It has had at least 2 engines and 3 gearboxes though. Still, that's some going.

Gary, the aircon temperature sensor is located just behind the dash near the steering wheel. It looks like a small 1" square grill in the plastic. Not very noticeable.

The light sensor is the little button-like thing at the base of the windscreen. It is for use when the headlight stalk is turned to "Auto". I believe the sensitivity can be adjusted by the dealership. I've never used the auto setting myself, but now you've brought it up, I might just try it!

John, my mk4 occasionally does exactly the same flickering that you describe. It has nothing to do with a defective battery but the light sensor Jake 430 was on about. It happens mostly at dusk or when you emerge from a tunnel or pass through a shaded area of road. Perfectly normal.

Seems a very common occurrence when getting new tyres fitted on our cars. Happened to me recently too. Had to return to the tyre place immediately after fitting, due to the 'chuffing' noise coming from the front wheels.

I had two Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance tyres fitted recently (different to just plain "Efficient Grip"?) and they came rated at 102W i.e. heavy duty compared to the standard 98W speed rating for our cars. They give a great comfortable ride, they're quiet too and are very grippy in the wet. Best tyre I've had so far.

Yes, I too find the wood effect steering wheel to be harder on the hands than the original all leather one, but, it looks sooo much classier in my opinion. There's not much wood in the 'standard' cabin of an LS400, unlike in the much nicer 430 cabin. I'm really glad I swapped my steering wheel over.

John, I don't think the LS430 wood/leather steering wheel will fit an LS400. I believe the connections are different. About a year ago I replaced the regular all-leather steering wheel on my mk4 for a wood/leather one taken off a recently scrapped mk4. It was in nice condition too and only cost me around £50 plus p+p. A real bargain I thought. Swapping it over is relatively easy, so long as care is taken with the airbag i.e. disconnect the battery for at least 10 mins for the capacitors to de activate. You don't need a puller either, just a good hard yank will do once the central nut is undone.