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hope some of you guy,s can reasure me i,me doing the right thing. i,me just about to buy an ls400 93 plate 134k full lexus history and EVERYTHING works, its my first lexus and have been digesting your site for a few weeks now. the only thing i ca,nt find much about is the reliability of the auto boxes on high milers and having had problems with auto boxes in the past am looking for a little reasurrance off the people who will know, i.e. the guys who run them so any help on this matter would be much appreciated. many thanks in advance, bob.

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dude,

make sure all the past invoices are the to prove that the maintenance was done. don't pay top money just because some Lexus stamps are in a Lexus service book.

I have an LS400 with nearly 170k on the clock and the auto is fine.

Regarding the autos, Lexus claim never to have replaced an auto transmission on a LS400 since they were introduced in the UK. They are reliable, provided you change all the fluids, belts on time. If they haven't been changed for a long time, you are going to be :tsktsk: in the long run with servicing bills!

Good Luck!

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:driving: AGREE TOTALLY with previous input.

On a general level, changing fluids always pays off, long term! When you think of all the craziness that goes on inside an engine, it makes sense that the lubrication etc., is kept spot on.

It's so easy to think 'oh, it'll last a few months longer (as I do when Lexus send me a kind reminder..it's only done 4.750 miles since last service, etc...)

BUT oil etc., DOES degrade. Just imagine how YOU'D feel with a complete blood transfusion ...(Hmm? Not good analogy, given the dodgy state of Blood in NHS....O.K. a nice dose of re-oxygenation!)

Also; do basic things like...flush out your cooling system, replace the fluid with DISTILLED water, not tap, plus correct % of Anti-freeze.

I change my auto box fluid each year, no matter WHAT the Lexus rec is, mileage wise (I don't do more than 6k miles, it's my 'Treat' car.!) to get back to topic!

My local service man said the same. They'd only ever changed one engine, even; blown up by idiot rushing into a Ford (the wet type, not the supposed car!!) and ingesting water into the engine.

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I bought a 93 LS 400 about 6 weeks ago after spending plenty of time learning about and looking for S class mercs then bumping into this. I looked into Lexus's quickly (before blokey could sell it to someone else) then bought it.

Mine had 135k on it when I got it and I've put another 1200 miles on it since then. I bought it thinking that I could sell again in a few months if I find the right merc but I've stopped looking.

I've had an oil change done on it and had the aircon re-gassed (does anyone know the weight of refrig they take as the bloke couldn't find it in his books or on the car so he conservatively guessed).

Currently thinking about what else to spend on it as it does have a little list of things which on the old car would've probably been ignored.....

1) cam belt

2) rear pads

3) plugs

4) brake fluid

5) LCD SCREENS!!!

By the way why were you asking about auto boxes on a HIGH MILER??

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why i asked about auto boxes is that in the past i had a lot of bother with a honda legend auto with 180k miles on it and the bill came to over £1800 and it sort of makes you wary about auto,s with high miles after something like that

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Stu76 dude

I agree with Maneesh, buy the spares like plugs, pads, belts ect from America.

I just bought an oil filter and air filter off e-bay.com (jag graveyard) and including carriage $24.00. which is i guess £19-£20.00

Twodogs dude.

Welcome to the club. My 92 LS400 is on 144,000 and you really can`t feel the box changing (except when kicking down and then all hell breaks loose). Have faith big dude and enjoy your toy.

Regards

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:yawn::crybaby: I recall in the days when I was spending ages researching getting my Lexus (took me about a year!!) reading, probably a USA review, that Lexus had a database that kept details of ANY work done by their affiliated dealers on ANY car! So, in theory, given twodogs wondering about what work had been done, if the same system applies here? Any one know? (Should I have put this out as a separate topic, perhaps?)

Would be easier than ringing every known Lexus dealer....!!

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Yes, I heard about that system in the US too. I have never heard of it working here. Has anyone tried it?

Can't we organise a group buy from the US for things like pads, discs, cambelts, etc. ? Easy way to get even cheaper parts!!!

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why i asked about auto boxes is that in the past i had a lot of bother with a honda legend auto with 180k miles on it and the bill came to over £1800 and it sort of makes you wary about auto,s with high miles after something like that

if the car has been looked after from day 1, then the auto box should be fine. In the US a 1990 LS400 is on 555k and still the original auto and engine.

Get the car inspected or look at previous bills etc to make sure fluids have been changed, but it's a very long lasting car if it's maintained properly.

On another contentious point, LS400s are in a different league from Legends. Lexus REDEFINED the luxury saloon when they brought out the first LS400..

Hondas are nice and reliable too, but was the 180k Legend well treated from day 1?

Can understand your fear though, since if you need a new engine or auto box on the LS400, you need a second mortgage!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Had a LS400 Mk1 for 9 years. Did 160,000 miles. Sold it with 200K+ on it.

The engine\auto were as good as the day I bought it with 50K miles on it. It had a service every 6000 miles according to Lexus schedule.

This is a list of the problems I had over 9 years.

Stone chips on front skirt and bonnet.

Break caliper replaced.

Wheels refinished due to corrosion.

Replacement seals in power stearing pump.

LCD faded out in centre pod.

Front seat sagged at about 160K.

Air con needed a recharge once.

One section of exchaust needed replacing after 12 years.

Break disks replaced at 120K. Breaks and pads every 20K. Tyres about every 25K

Only sold it due to sagging driver seat.

Am now running a late 1999 LS400 Mk4 bought for £11K with 100,000 miles. The previous owner only weighed about 7 stone so the driver seat should last longer than my mk1 :winky: Had front skirt and bonnet repainted, wheels refinished and new SatNav CD all done for about £600. It now looks like new and I'm looking forward to the next 200,000 miles.

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Had a LS400 Mk1 for 9 years. Did 160,000 miles. Sold it with 200K+ on it.

Break disks replaced at 120K. Breaks and pads every 20K.

Good to hear you got value for money out of the car.

I can't imagine how your car got 20k out of brake pads. My Mk1 EATS front brake pads every 6k, and REAR pads every 10k or so.

The Mk1 brakes are too weak for the car, that's why they upgraded them from 1993 with the Mk2 setup. :winky:

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Auto boxes are just another thing to go wrong.

On the Lexus they never go wrong.

There's a guy on the forum who's been made redundant and claims he can't afford to fix up his Lexus. He thinks it's just the fuel pump. It's got just over 100K on the clock.

Make him an offer if he fixes the car up.

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Had a LS400 Mk1 for 9 years. Did 160,000 miles. Sold it with 200K+ on it.

Break disks replaced at 120K. Breaks and pads every 20K.

Good to hear you got value for money out of the car.

I can't imagine how your car got 20k out of brake pads. My Mk1 EATS front brake pads every 6k, and REAR pads every 10k or so.

The Mk1 brakes are too weak for the car, that's why they upgraded them from 1993 with the Mk2 setup. :winky:

:zee: Ah, you heavy footed Man-eesh! Did you know that the Advanced Drivers say you shouldn't need to use your brakes much? You drive according to road conditions/traffic density, slowing speeding to match the traffic.....NOT rushing up to lights and slamming on the brakes! ;) :P

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Chris,

One issue with me is I drive in mainly heavy stop start London traffic, where I spend more time on the brakes than off them.

Another thing on the Mk1 LS400 is the lack of engine braking when taking your foot off the gas, compared to other cars with autos.

:blink::blink:

Maneesh the Quiche

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Chris,

One issue with me is I drive in mainly heavy stop start London traffic, where I spend more time on the brakes than off them.

Another thing on the Mk1 LS400 is the lack of engine braking when taking your foot off the gas, compared to other cars with autos.

:blink:  :blink:

Maneesh the Quiche

:P Yes, I was only being flippant! But now I wonder what we are doing inthe middle of the day sending notes about cars instead of boosting the nation's economy! (I'm trying to get this :tsktsk: computer to operate on ADSL, which has been a problem for a while. Hope I've cracked it now....tho it has switched itself OFF twice since, so......

Don't envy you being in London. I use my LS400 sparingly, usually on M-ways, as last we-end trip, Bristol to Liverpool and back. Lovely drive. Love the way it kicks down at 90+ and GOES! (The handbook says it'll do 90 in second gear!)

I bought my series three for the reasons you highlight. It was a distinct improvement on the 1-as was the 2,and on the 2. More speed less consumption, more hip room...even slightly thicker glass to reduce noise (WHAT noise? I bought it to listen to the stereo in perfect clarity at 90!) :zee:

Sorry chaps...shouldn't be having pointless chats here....... :whistling: :winky:

(As for Quiche.....I run 'Royce Rolls ' Cafe, Bristol's oldest/best vegetarian cafe/take-away. Great quiche..as well as lots of other delicious food!)

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  • 1 month later...

The MKIV came out begining of 1998. Big difference in spec. Revised engine, new gearbox, more powerful, uses less fuel, sat nav.....

MKIII spec:

http://www.lexus.co.uk/approved.php?area=l...model=ls400_mk3

MKIV spec:

http://www.lexus.co.uk/approved.php?area=l...model=ls400_mk4

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