Ls 430 - Purchasing Advice

[Tom_Irl]

Hi,

I am in the process of purchasing a 2001 or 2002 LS430, I am going to look at 2 cars over the weekend and I am looking for anything I should be on the look out for when doing a test drive as both are private sales. I am looking to purchase one that will give me a couple of years nice luxury motoring with little or no major jobs around the corner. Prices of them here have dropped hugely in the last year with the price of fuel and the almost €1600 annual road tax that comes with driving a large engined car in this country , prices are starting at under €4k for a an early 2001 model.

Both cars have 120k miles and full service histories but I am unsure exactly where they stand with regard to timing belts being changed. Anyone know what are at the intervals both time and age should they be replaced, I am under the impression it's every 60k miles or 6 years whichever comes first. My other worry from reading through posts on this forum is with the air suspension, I am assuming this was standard on all LS430 models? The two I am looking at don't have the large Sat Nav style centre console display I see on the majority of them so they may be entry level or perhaps an entry level Irish spec, how do I know it has air suspension and how would I adjust or notice any problems with it and see that it's working as it should?

[ManicMark]

Hi,

I am in the process of purchasing a 2001 or 2002 LS430, I am going to look at 2 cars over the weekend and I am looking for anything I should be on the look out for when doing a test drive as both are private sales. I am looking to purchase one that will give me a couple of years nice luxury motoring with little or no major jobs around the corner. Prices of them here have dropped hugely in the last year with the price of fuel and the almost €1600 annual road tax that comes with driving a large engined car in this country , prices are starting at under €4k for a an early 2001 model.

Both cars have 120k miles and full service histories but I am unsure exactly where they stand with regard to timing belts being changed. Anyone know what are at the intervals both time and age should they be replaced, I am under the impression it's every 60k miles or 6 years whichever comes first. My other worry from reading through posts on this forum is with the air suspension, I am assuming this was standard on all LS430 models? The two I am looking at don't have the large Sat Nav style centre console display I see on the majority of them so they may be entry level or perhaps an entry level Irish spec, how do I know it has air suspension and how would I adjust or notice any problems with it and see that it's working as it should?

Hi timming belts are 100k on a 430, check the rear aircon is working & the pipe to the rear aircon isn't corroded. For the air suspension check it is working put it in normal & sport mode get the car on level ground & measure the distance between the tyres & the wheel arches

to see if its even as the sensors are prone to fail ( expensive).

[Tom_Irl]

I viewed 3 days over the weekend so far but all 3 had white patches on some of the window pains in the doors, have looked this up and it seems to be caused delamination where the pieces of glass seperated to let air in which discolours the glass. Is this a common problem? I've never noticed this on any other LS 430's that I have spotted in traffic.