Buying An Ls400 What To Be Aware Of ?

[Andrew 1976]

Hello all. I am a new member only joining the club today. I hope i have posted this correctly as i am not a big forum or internet posting type of person.

I am currently looking at buying a Lexus LS 400 my previous saloon being a 1997 Nissan QX 3.0 SEl auto which appears to have been the Nissan equivelant of the Lexus. I had the Nissan for 10 years but scrapped it last year due to it becoming increasingly unreliable for my work use. I swear i cried when that car got towed.

In haste and grieving for my beloved QX i bought a nice little imported mitsubishi FTO from my friend who tried to tempt me away from what he calls "barges" My god what was i thinking about :tsktsk:

i have therefore been looking for another saloon and because i have not found a suitable replacement Nissan QX to quench my thirst for large japanese saloons i have decided to look at the Lexus.

I have always liked the Lexus LS 400 and have decided it is time to get one as i need to go back to a large saloon before i kill myself or go mad driving this little 200bhp sports tin can. (apologies to any fellow FTO owners out there)

I am currently planning to view an LS 400 on Monday. It is a 1993 model with 176k on the clock. It has main dealer history upto 117k and looks in good clean condition. Price is around £1200 from a garage (although i am PX'ing my Mitsubishi FTO import for nearly all of this.)

I need to know if there are any specific problem areas on these cars to look out for. Obviously its an old car and i am not expecting a mint condition problem free vehicle but i know very little about these particular cars and would like some advice on which areas to scrutinise during my viewing It is just that i really need that little bit of knowledge about the LS 400 so i am more aware and less likely to be ripped off if i can spot a potential lemon!!

Secondly are the rumours i have seen posted around that pre 95 models have ? "non interference" engines and therefore would survive the otherwise devastating effect of cambelt failure?

[jamesholden]

1997 Nissan QX 3.0 SEl auto which appears to have been the Nissan equivelant of the Lexus.

Sort of, the QX was actually more like Nissan's equivalent to the Toyota Camry. Their equivalent to Lexus is the Infiniti brand.

[Ruud]

Hi and welcom to the club Andrew :)

The Ls still is pretty much one of the most reliable cars out there.

A few things to look out for are:

-Leaking power steering pump which can fry the alternator as it is placed directly under it

-Blacked out displays. (common failure on the first generation Ls)

-Take the big girl for a spin and listen for any knocks coming from the suspension. (it's a heavy car and often the front ball joints can develop some play)

-Listen for a leaking exhaust sound from under the bonnet. This could indicate that the EGR pipe is cracked.

These are not major issues and can be fixed fairly easy.

Engine & gear box wise these cars are bullet proof and, if well cared for, will last 300K + miles.

I've owned a 1993 Ls400 (187K) as well last year and never had any real issues with it.

The only fiddly job was fixing the EGR pipe, but again with a little technical back ground, easily done yourself :)

EDIT: forgot to mention that I've owned a 1997 QX as well a few years ago. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the way the Ls drives compared to the QX. The Ls has about 60Bhp and 80 ft·lb torque more than the QX... B)

Good Luck

[Andrew 1976]

Hello and thank you for the replies.

I did like the QX but the ride was never the best so i am looking forward to driving the LS as it does seem to be a much more refined car.

Thank you for the information it is very helpful and it is fantastic to have a club that can offer advice and support although with cars like these , espescially the older models i suppose club support is essential.

I am going to ring the dealer again later today to confirm a viewing for Monday and will probably put a deposit on it

[Ruud]

Hello and thank you for the replies.

I did like the QX but the ride was never the best so i am looking forward to driving the LS as it does seem to be a much more refined car.

Thank you for the information it is very helpful and it is fantastic to have a club that can offer advice and support although with cars like these , espescially the older models i suppose club support is essential.

I am going to ring the dealer again later today to confirm a viewing for Monday and will probably put a deposit on it

The '93 engine is indeed non interference. No damage when the belt snaps. Of course it would be best when the belt was recently changed as it is not a cheap job, or in case you can do it yourself....very time consuming as half the engine needs to be stripped..lol

Be sure to post up some pics when you have her on the driveway.

[Manc]

Thank you for the information it is very helpful and it is fantastic to have a club that can offer advice and support although with cars like these , espescially the older models i suppose club support is essential.

I am going to ring the dealer again later today to confirm a viewing for Monday and will probably put a deposit on it

Hi & welcome Andrew.

Dont put your deposit on till you've driven it.

im also a '76'er. and i've had my '93 LS400 for 5 years now, its never broke down!!! and yes this forum has saved me a packet and probably the car. The only failings have been typical wear & tear parts like suspension rubbers, seals and gaskets, oh yeah and the dash...

I've found myself out of work recently and I'm still obsessed with keeping the old gal on the road. Its a great car and well worth the peanuts paid for them nowadays. I was offered a 2000 plate Mondeo with excellent service record but i just had to say no. Im far from posh, but a Lexus to a Ford???? Its just not logic

The previously listed faults are spot on i've had all those faults on mine.

-The p/s reservoir leak is usually a simple £2 o-ring (@ base of reservoir), or in my case it was a new jubilee clip required for the cooler pipe - a rusty figure of 8 looking pipe under fan as you open the bonnet. The fan then sucks in the drops and spits it out all over the place and the leak looks worse than what it is. Again just a £2 job, but can be time consuming if you were in uncharted territory like i was, and you drink lots of tea!

-The suspension will be the biggest cost, cheapest i found was £600 (fitted) for both L&R front upper control arms. I was told you should replace both even if only one fails..it will only happen the once this way.

the lower control arms are under £100 each side, but the rears arms are quite expensive i've heard, so you do need to listen for clunks and knocks when turning SLOWLY with full lock, or running over those daft policeman that sleep in the road everywhere.

It would be great if your salesman had receipts for front suspension work

-Blinking dash syndrome - can include faulty illumination on both clocks and center console, or the needles can go dim.

Do not go to lexus if this happens. I paid a tenth of what they wanted to steal from me.

I drove the car for 18months with no dash illumination as you can still see the speed in daylight, but when i was using it more at night i had to get it fixed. And yes, it was cheap. The only issue now is that it takes 5 minutes for my fuel to gauge properly, but its a small price to pay and you are usually aware what you have in the tank anyway

-air conditioning and clock display - this can start to fade/black out. Mine is just starting it now, I havent had it fixed but the same guy who did the dash fixes this fault too

-Exhaust - mine is still the original i think...I've only changed a gasket, but the there is a slight blowing which i now believe is the EGR pipe. If you are unsure, open the bonnet and stand near the drivers door. The sound comes from the back of the engine, under the windscreen. I can only notice it if i just start it up, or in a confined space such as between walls or fences and although it makes the V8 sound more like a V8 ... it will fail the M.O.T on the emissions and that can cost you loads in o2 sensors etc that dont need changing.

This will tell you if the garage you take it to know anything about these cars at all or even know anything relating to the word honesty...

-Rust - Doesn't really go with the word Lexus, but check all door frames (front and rear door frame, top and bottom). Mines a 93 and has just got 2 spots of rust coming through, but these are small and a hole in the front window seal is the culprit of the biggest one.

What im trying to say is if it has got any rust, then it might not be the car to buy.

I know next time i get my windscreen replaced i could get major issues with bodywork as the autoglass fellow made me sign a waiver that said any damage was not his fault as excessive rust had appeared where the top of the glass sits. It fitted fine, but he did say the next one could cause issues. And you cant notice it from the outside either so if you get a chip - get it fixed asap...its free

Fuel is starting to become an issue, but thats our governments fault not the cars :tsktsk:

Its a 75ltr tank so it can cost 90quid at times. But I've only noticed this since I lost my job

The cars are amazing mate and well worth the money, if he cant supply you with history or reciepts then i'd knock him down to £1000 or less as you will more than likely be paying out for some if not all of the above faults. Its probably why its in the forecourt anyway...if you do get her, then this site is the best i've come across for detailed help, advice, recommendations etc and it will save you money

oohhhh...enjoy that ride home mate :winky:

[steveskeggy]

There is a 93 with 127000 on Auto trader at the moment for 795.

Or a bit further down there is one with 76k for 995.

All depends on your budget, and how far you are prepared to travel.

[JellyBean]

Look out, here's my two pennyworth...

Instead of buying an early one for under £1,000, go for a good FSH Mk IV and pay under £5,000. It is a better car (it must be, otherwise Lexus/Toyota don't know what they are doing) and may even work out cheaper in the long run.

[ManicMark]

Hi there is a low mileage 2000(v) mark 1V fitted with lpg on autotrader in birmingham for £3495 in a dealers. If you take the LPG kit is worth around 2K, its a bargain. cheap as chips to run aswell. Thats where my money would be going if I didn't have one.

updte sorry just re read the add for it I think they are saying LPG availerble. might be worth a check though.

[steveskeggy]

All depends on the guys budget.

If he`s only got 1500 quid to spend, then a Mk4 is a bit out of the question.

[bigjim]

I'm not sure if I'm adding anything particularly constructive to the thread but I bought a '97 LS a year ago. I paid £1600 for a model with 133,000 on the clock and no service history! Stupid, I know, but I liked the dealer and was willing to believe him when he told me the previous owner was elderly, a bit forgetful, and had "mislaid" the documents. (You had to be there).

Anyway, since then I've used it as a weekend motor, except for August this year when I did 3,000 miles on a holiday in the south of France. It went like a dream. I've just put it in for an M.O.T. and it failed on one thing only; a rear suspension spring (cost at my local garage: £105 for the part, £110 for the labour). I'm happy with that; another year's motoring guaranteed.

Other than that, I've had an oil change (£45) at ATS, and two front tyres (£220), also at ATS. The only faults are:

Front and rear seat heaters don't work; boot seals leak....er, that's it.

So, I've splashed out just over 2 grand for a year's motoring in one of the world's most luxurious cars. That sort of bargain just won't happen in years to come, when we're all forced by legislation to run electric cars or combustion engines of less that 900cc.

Go for it!

[methoplod]

Hi Andrew, I think yours is the one at the bottom, if thats the very dark green or black/green it's my fav colour with the old washinton cherry a v close second, I have the v dark green/black right now,. I had a look at darker colours on eBay and if I had to choose between both the cars below I would go for the £1995 black.

The reason I would pay the xtra & go for the £1195 is, 1) the seller has an impecable, large 99% history since 2007, yours only has 4 in a year so not really enough to convince me to go to an eBay garage, though I would/might to a private seller, 2) It has an impeccable, 100% on time service history and olny 116,750k on it, the '93 has no stated service for this past 40 oddk and that would bother me a bit, maybe he has shown you some kind of servicing things not stated on the add??

Well I can only speak for myself but that would be me only.

£1995

http://tinyurl.com/yal7wm3

£1195

http://tinyurl.com/y9fa7sq

[JellyBean]

Front and rear seat heaters don't work

I think it pretty unusual for both front AND rear seat heaters not to work. I would be surprised if were a case of all the heat pads having failed.

When I was in the dealership recently on a sort of open day, we were encouraged to ask the Lexus technicians about any probs we had with our cars. I chatted to the guy about the seat heaters failing and he said it was often not the element itself, but the connection between the two pads (back & botty). I haven't got around to grovelling under my driver's seat yet, but as it gets colder and my Mrs smiles as her seat warms up, I will have a poke around - and will report if I find this connection was the problem.

[Manc]

All depends on the guys budget.

If he`s only got 1500 quid to spend, then a Mk4 is a bit out of the question.

Aye, spot on

And for Jellybean (no offense fella!!) saying it could save you money is not quite right as i paid £1000 5/6 years ago for my Mk2 and it has definitely not cost me a further 4k on top yet.....maybe 2k at the most over those 5 years (including tyres) , and most of that is recent and is due to lack of servicing, stood still for 3/4 months while company van did the job etc

These are top cars, but it depends if you want all the mod cons like satnav etc (just buy a countrywide map for travel, and small local maps for £2 if you go out of your area - so easy to read) and just why people need the satnav on when they are on their way home from work is unexplainable........is the personal image really worth forking out for a new satnav display cos its old technology and only works for a few years? Didnt think so

Hey, dont get me wrong, they might suss it one day soon, but not yet......

By the way Andy.......its monday, did you buy it??

[Andrew 1976]

Hi Guys,

Sorry its took me so long to post as i am having decorating at home and have not currently got home internet connection.

I viewed the car yesterday. Body work was as expected quite tidy interior was tidy just needs leather clean and feed. The car has the known power steering leak. The engine sounds ok as i would expect anyway and exhaust seems sound. The small temp and clock display has faded but everything else was fine. The dash display imnitially flickered a little at cold but functioned normally after a couple of minutes. There are a couple of jobs needed its certainly not immaculate but is ideal for a work car for myself.

The reason i was attracted to this car was its exactly what i was looking for spec and colour wise. Secondly i have come away with virtually a swap for my FTO which i know needed work anyway for the MOT next month. In reality the car has cost me about £100 and is mot'd till next June. It got me home from Coventry no problems 120 miles. I have also got a three month warranty (which is probably worth nothing but at least if the auto box or engine goes bang in next couple of weeks i might get something!!!)

I know that it would benefit from new brake pads so will be sorting that soon. There arte other things that i need to give attention to but will resolve them ASAP.

Cost wise as i have stated in real terms it has cost me £100 in real cash and if i get 6 months or until MOT out of it i will be happy. I could have raised more cash to buy perhaps a better or later example as this is not really a massive issue and because i really liked this car decided to take a chance.

I have a feeling i am going to need lots more support on this forum over the coming weeks. Firstly how much to get dash illumination fixed and who by, secondly same fior my clock/climate control display.

Thanks a lot for the support and information gents it is greatly apreciated. Just hope ive not bought a lemon but hey , for what its cost me might as well give it a bash :winky:

[Andrew 1976]

Hi Guys,

Sorry its took me so long to post as i am having decorating at home and have not currently got home internet connection.

I viewed the car yesterday. Body work was as expected quite tidy interior was tidy just needs leather clean and feed. The car has the known power steering leak. The engine sounds ok as i would expect anyway and exhaust seems sound. The small temp and clock display has faded but everything else was fine. The dash display imnitially flickered a little at cold but functioned normally after a couple of minutes. There are a couple of jobs needed its certainly not immaculate but is ideal for a work car for myself.

The reason i was attracted to this car was its exactly what i was looking for spec and colour wise. Secondly i have come away with virtually a swap for my FTO which i know needed work anyway for the MOT next month. In reality the car has cost me about £100 and is mot'd till next June. It got me home from Coventry no problems 120 miles. I have also got a three month warranty (which is probably worth nothing but at least if the auto box or engine goes bang in next couple of weeks i might get something!!!)

I know that it would benefit from new brake pads so will be sorting that soon. There arte other things that i need to give attention to but will resolve them ASAP.

Cost wise as i have stated in real terms it has cost me £100 in real cash and if i get 6 months or until MOT out of it i will be happy. I could have raised more cash to buy perhaps a better or later example as this is not really a massive issue and because i really liked this car decided to take a chance.

I have a feeling i am going to need lots more support on this forum over the coming weeks. Firstly how much to get dash illumination fixed and who by, secondly same fior my clock/climate control display.

Thanks a lot for the support and information gents it is greatly apreciated. Just hope ive not bought a lemon but hey , for what its cost me might as well give it a bash :winky:

Just to add as youve guessed i did buy it l623 PRB

[methoplod]

Hi Guys,

Cost wise as i have stated in real terms it has cost me £100 in real cash and if i get 6 months or until MOT out of it i will be happy. I could have raised more cash to buy perhaps a better or later example as this is not really a massive issue and because i really liked this car decided to take a chance. :winky:

Just to add as youve guessed i did buy it l623 PRB

Thats gotta be the best buy ever £100, good luck with it-enjoy

[Ruud]

Hi Guys,

Cost wise as i have stated in real terms it has cost me £100 in real cash and if i get 6 months or until MOT out of it i will be happy. I could have raised more cash to buy perhaps a better or later example as this is not really a massive issue and because i really liked this car decided to take a chance. :winky:

Just to add as youve guessed i did buy it l623 PRB

Thats gotta be the best buy ever £100, good luck with it-enjoy

I'm pretty sure the FTO wasn't free though ;)

£100 in cash + the FTO

[Andrew 1976]

Hi Guys,

Cost wise as i have stated in real terms it has cost me £100 in real cash and if i get 6 months or until MOT out of it i will be happy. I could have raised more cash to buy perhaps a better or later example as this is not really a massive issue and because i really liked this car decided to take a chance. :winky:

Just to add as youve guessed i did buy it l623 PRB

Thats gotta be the best buy ever £100, good luck with it-enjoy

I'm pretty sure the FTO wasn't free though ;)

£100 in cash + the FTO

You are right actually but If i added it all up and said that over last two years of car ownership taking into account my dealing the cost of the fto etc its probably cost me five or six hundred so still a cheap Lexus. :winky:

What may interest others is that i also have classic cars. i currently own a 1964 Ford corsair in show condition., oh and of course the Lexus which is certainly a classic and fabulous vehicle B)

I love tinkering with cars which is probably a good thing

[Ruud]

Now we're all waiting for pics of the Ls and do slip one or two of the Corsair in too ;)

I've had a profect Cadillac Eldorado over the summer, sold now though

[Andrew 1976]

Just thought i would put on an update as i draw to the end of my first week living with the ls 400. B)

First job on Tuesday was getting the front tyres sorted. They were certainly illegal when i bought the car (from a garage too!!) and i got the tracking sorted. I did think it would need the wishbones replacing but my mechanic checked them for play and declared them alright. They did look recently done actually. The tracking however was around two degrees out which explained the squeal and poor road holding driving her back. However Seventy quid sorted out the tracking and two bridgestone tyres :)

I thought i had noticed a power steering leak when i bought it . A good clean up and check shows it to be a very slow leak as with one week and 600 miles the level has not dropped and no more fluid has appeared anywhere. Strange but i won't grumble i do intend to drop out the ps pump and replace the seals during my next period of leave. Despite no further signs of it i have dropped a spot of wynns ps stop leak in temporarily yesterday which is something i would not normally do, or condone but the thoughts of getting stuck in the wilds in low temps with a blown alternator made me decide that if a leak did re appear it was possibly better to try and prevent it worsening and destroying my alt till i get the pump out. However the ps is silky smooth and almost silent

Now its driving nicely i will look at the other faults. Firstly the brakes need doing. I'll fit new pads this week as they are pretty much gone after using what was left on them this week resulting in that nice grinding sound we dont like to hear after prolonged use of footbrake. this should be done tuesday as its my priority to prevent further problems.

the car has 177 k on the clock. cambelt was done at nearly 104k so i will replace this over winter if nothing serious goes wrong

Next ive noticed i have the nice flickering dash lights on cold mornings. They take about two or three minutes to come on but then they work fine all day. Only seems to re occur if left 12 hours or so. I will drive the car a while longer to iron out any other faults that may occur before splashing out money on this.

Overall i am impressed with the car. She drives smoothly, acceleration is good, she holds straight even under braking. All the toys work except the cassette player although i only listen yo radio 2 and 4 or play my ipod through transmitter so thats not a disaster, oh and the passenger side seatbelt height adjuster which tries to move but appears stuck. i'll sort that this week but again its not urgent as i rarely carry passengers.

Fuel economy i am happy with. Not worked it out yet in mpg return but seem to be getting adequate mileage for what i am putting in although i am light on the throttle and tend to keep revs down and use cruise on motorway

on a similar note which fuel do people use? i have been filling with tesco high octane and shell super unleaded which is what i used in the fto as it did give better response and economy but will it make a difference in the LS? Also does anyone use additives or treatments? i am a redex addict but sometimes used to put boosters and other additives in the fto.

So thats it really. I am gradually working through any little faults but also want to see how she runs for the next few weeks before spending lots of money refurbishing her, purely because it is still under warranty and if anything big comes up i will claim for it.

[chunkz]

dont use asda fuel. i did and my car hates it

thought it was going to die it was that bad (the car not me)

[Ruud]

dont use asda fuel. i did and my car hates it

thought it was going to die it was that bad (the car not me)

I don't use supermarket petrol at all. It's better to stick with the known brands, I use either Esso or Shell. Never had a problem.

[chunkz]

i was thinking of selling mine (95 n) 150000 mls very good service history until i got it then serviced it myself new alternator/o ring new egr pipe for£800 but thats too low and i cant part with it till i get a newer one

would not know what to ask for it to be honest if i ever did sell it

[Manc]

Andy,

dont be fooled by no new drips, if you're still topping up every now & then its still leaking.

The engine cover underneath the car keeps it all there for a while, its got lots of sponges on it to keep it quiet i presume, but they were wrecked on mine.

If you can be bothered, jack up the front end and take the cover off, put some cardboard down over night where you park it (if its outside, put c/brd further underneath so the rain wont soak it, or put something against your bumper to keep c/bd dry!!).

Its fine to drive with it off just dont go throu deep dirty puddles and dont go out in the rain...obviously

Sometimes takes a couple of nights for the fluid to find its way to a point it can drop from.

Believe me, its better to check thouroughly now.....i cant tell you the amount of times i let things go , then forgot about it just for them to bite me on the arse at m.o.t. time or the suspect part will cost you at xmas time or whatever, that sods law just loves to ***** u off whenver it can

Oh and sorry to tell you, that dash flicker sounds EXACTLY as mine started, it will start to stay off for longer, and longer and.....then it will stay off, not even 1 flicker at ignition.

Its fine in the day 'cos u can still see the needles ok, but could well cost you points and a fine at night, it can also flicker back on occasionally, it alternates quickly with the center console illumination and you get folks looking at you at the traffic lights cos they think you got strobe lights in your car or something.

And todays coppers will think you are on the phone!!!!

You need to speak to chris, its not expensive