Swan55

Only 160,000 ish (1998) I'm sure we'll see some much higher numbers !

Thank you all for your replies. We're currently talking to Paul Frost (lexussparesdirect). He has been very good with advice and suggestions and I hope we can do a deal. In addition we'll need the relevant control arms etc. but paradoxically it may turn out to be easier / quicker to replace the whole lot as a unit rather then some bits this year and some next year etc. Tinonline: its beyond just the surface and a few holes have appeared here and there. I suspect the tester may be being a bit cautious, but then it is a heavy car with a fair bit of power going to the back wheels; and next year I don't imagine spare parts prices and availability will be any better. runsgrateasanut: new mot rules "dangerous", I also suspect some places will start incorporating this into their practices; and gov't "unintended consequences" will result in older cars quietly going away - "because their old and dangerous gas guzzlers etc etc." (meanwhile our mechanic tells me of the numerous gearbox failures he's seeing with 'modern' cars that have only done 11,000 20,000 26,000 miles (mainly KA, clio, fiat 500)). Ambermarine: thanks for Paul Frost suggestion, saved me so much time looking elsewhere - which was getting me nowhere. Steve: No photos yet, but will try and get some when she goes back up on the lift. Denis: nice car, same blue as mine ("S" reg), except your seems much cleaner ! I think when the existing parts are off, it will be a good time to underseal everything in sight, before the replacement bits go back on. many thanks,

Hello, We have a 1998 LS400 with 160,000 miles Our MOT mechanic is really unhappy about the amount of rust at the back and wants us to get a replacement rear axle assembly / subframe, which he also calls a 'bed'. Has anybody got any experience of this ? thanks

Gents, Thank you all for your time on this issue, and for kindly looking up resources elsewhere. I will take it all on board. As we are mobile thanks to another car, I can afford to take a little bit of time to do some more research, especially in case there are other maintenance tasks that can be carried out once we start stripping things down, and I've seen recommendations elsewhere for specific tools etc. If I can take relevant pictures I will do so (and also look into how to post them at a more presentable size). I purchased a new battery charger yesterday from a well known German 'lower prices' superstore. It cost £13.99, feels sturdy, and has a 3 year warranty. I put it on this morning and my battery was initially on only 1 of 4 bars - it is now charging nicely. Will post back when I have some news - but that may not be for a while. Have a good weekend, Nigel

Sorcerer, Yes it was rather optimistic of me to hope that the solution was going to be this simple - but nothing ventured etc. and in any event we can now safely rule it out of my confusion. What is really confusing me, which I accept is part of a great ignorance on my behalf, is that the starter motor is continuously cranking, and keeps on doing so (the actual cranking 'noise' is as normal - no bad or strange grinding noises etc.). In fact if I turn the ignition key on - then the engine starts as normal - it's just that the starter keeps on cranking and does not disengage. I would have thought that if the solenoid was stuck / welded together, then the starter would make no noise or just a click etc. I'm now off to buy a battery charger, so that we can then be sure that that is not somehow adding to my confusion. kind regards, Nigel

I mentioned earlier that I had replaced the starter relay in the fuse box. Unfortunately it did not solve the problem. I was curious as to what goes on inside a relay and took some photographs, which I include below just for information. My apologies that they have uploaded at different sizes. In photo no 6, you can see the 'inside' view and the arrow shows the gap between the 2 contacts. This shows that the contacts are not welded together (which I had really hoped they were as this would then have only necessitated a replacement relay which would have been such a simple fix). Also in photo no 8, you can see that the thin copper wire passes over its own contact plate (one on both sides of the relay), and again looks somewhat 'thin' and a bit 'melted' (there must be better terms); so again I hoped that a replacement relay would do the job, but alas, no such luck.

Sorcerer and Texas, I believe you're correct. It's time do some mechanical work. This will take me some time to arrange, but I will post back in due course. I also heard back from the repairit online shop who also feel that it's probably a stuck solenoid. Although the repair kit is a reasonable enough cost (below £20 inc p&p), and from the video above it looks as though it's not too difficult to diy, it's a pity that the starter unit itself is so inaccessible and requires so much work to get at it. many thanks, Nigel

Sorcerer, many thanks. This will be a good test should we get to the stage of taking the inlet manifold (etc.) off so that we can get to the actual starter unit (a stage which I suspect is fast approaching). In the meantime I'm off to buy a new battery charger as she will be pretty low now after having just sat there for a couple of weeks. regards, NIgel

Dear Sorcerer and Texas, Many thanks for your consideration and advice. After reading so many forum articles regarding the complexity (and corresponding cost) of getting the starter out, I was / am really hoping that there might be other potential solutions to try first; although the more I read the more resigned I've become that your hunch is correct. As suggested, I've messaged the solenoid repair kit people and await their response. Attempting to solve this by adopting a "simple things first" approach led me to acquiring a new relay in the fuse box, but to no avail. As stated, when I reconnect the battery, there are small sparks at the battery terminal, and then the starter cranks; so clearly the circuit is staying "live". Could this be anything to do with the ignition switch or something in that area ? All advice much appreciated. thanks, Nigel

Hello. This is my first post. I have failed to find a post with this exact problem, but would welcome a pointer in the right direction if one already exists. I have a problem with the starter in my 1998 LS400 (150,000 miles). The starter motor is sticking on – it just keeps on cranking. The only way I can stop it is by disconnecting the battery. I’ll include a bit of background in case it’s relevant:- We had a new Bosch heavy duty battery and a reconditioned alternator about 2 years ago. The car is used daily and normally starts first time. About 6 weeks ago it failed to start first time for 4 consecutive days. There were a number of failure symptoms, comprising of some / most of the following :- - the nights had just got colder, and with one exception, this only happened first thing in the morning. All other startups during the same day were fine. - Mostly on turning the ignition key there was just silence, not even a little click. - Eventually the starter would groan a few times, like a really drained battery; - Then it would suddenly crank properly, the familiar and normal fast crank, and start as though there was nothing wrong. - I had tried bumping it a bit in gear in case that dislodged something, but cannot say that that was the reason it then started. Our mechanic tested the battery and alternator and said they were fine. Then the car started properly 3 times a day for the next month. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I turned the ignition key, the car started immediately, but I could tell that something was wrong. I turned the ignition key off and the starter was still cranking (with the engine now off). I turned the ignition on again and the engine started as normal but the starter was still cranking. I removed the ignition key and the engine stops but the starter still cranks. The only way to stop the starter cranking is by disconnecting the battery. Now, if I reconnect the battery, the starter starts cranking even though the ignition key is not in the barrel. I have changed the starter relay in the fuse box, but it’s still the same (cranks straightaway when battery reconnected). The starter cranks when the battery is reconnected even if the starter relay in the fuse box is removed (and the ignition key out); which has really confused me. I am hoping that this is not a case of accessing the starter motor unit, and would welcome your advice on the matter. Many thanks, and a belated happy new year to you all.