Just Bought One. (400 Introduction & Query)

[oliver261]

hello all, new to lexus ownership and the forum (though i lurked for a little while when deciding which car to go for)

its the first used car i have bought and i cant believe how tight it is. 1999 and the interior rattles less than 1 and 2 year old cars ive had. it wasnt really an ideal time to buy as i have been without a car for about 2 months and was finding it very frustrating (rushed it) also my finances were not healthy hence the vintage

when buying it i made just about every mistake possible, im certainly no mechanic, i was in a frantic rush with only a short time to buy due to work and it was during the awful weather so i wasn't as thorough as i should have been.

saw 5 in total and the one ive got isnt without problems (though the price reflected) and overall im very pleased with it. loving the luxury and it made my regular wakefield to plymouth drive a breeze.

THE MAIN ISSUE

the brakes have been neglected a little. needs new pads and discs alround. however, this is not indicated on the dash warning. presume that indicates further problems. im not sure whether to have lexus do this work. does anyone have any recommendations of non-lexus supplier of these parts? or do you think its worth biting the bullet on the price. im going to get some quotes tomorrow but does anyone have a rough guide?

cheers for any advice (including that leached from other peoples threads before joining) and look forward to further discussions

[steve2006]

Hello and welcome to the LOC.

There is nothing over complicated with the LS400 braking system so any local independent garage will be able to replace the discs and pads and at the age the car is I wouldn't worry about not using Lexus for repairs.

There are decent aftermarket parts around for example Mintex,Bembo at prices considerably cheaper than Toyota but I would avoid cheap unbranded types.

[ROYT]

As Above,also check 'Blueprint' Japanese parts

[beavisrules]

infact I'll go on to say the LS400 brakes are the easiest pads & disk change you could hope for.

Taking the wheel off is more than 1/2 the job.

and maybe if the disk screw is rusty it may suck , but in my experiance the LS stuff doesn't rust and seems to always undo.

1 bolt/nut on caliper it swings away. leaving enough room to remove disk.

[abs66]

I've just replaced all four discs and pads cost around £250 ish. I didn't go for cheap ones from eBay although I was tempted, I got the Pagid ones from euro car parts but if they are good enough for Aston Martin merc amongst other they will do for me. I don't know if you have a euro car parts down there but there used to be a gsf in stonehouse if memory serves.

[Bluesman]

hello all, new to lexus ownership and the forum (though i lurked for a little while when deciding which car to go for) its the first used car i have bought and i cant believe how tight it is. 1999 and the interior rattles less than 1 and 2 year old cars ive had. it wasnt really an ideal time to buy as i have been without a car for about 2 months and was finding it very frustrating (rushed it) also my finances were not healthy hence the vintage when buying it i made just about every mistake possible, im certainly no mechanic, i was in a frantic rush with only a short time to buy due to work and it was during the awful weather so i wasn't as thorough as i should have been. saw 5 in total and the one ive got isnt without problems (though the price reflected) and overall im very pleased with it. loving the luxury and it made my regular wakefield to plymouth drive a breeze. THE MAIN ISSUE the brakes have been neglected a little. needs new pads and discs alround. however, this is not indicated on the dash warning. presume that indicates further problems. im not sure whether to have lexus do this work. does anyone have any recommendations of non-lexus supplier of these parts? or do you think its worth biting the bullet on the price. im going to get some quotes tomorrow but does anyone have a rough guide? cheers for any advice (including that leached from other peoples threads before joining) and look forward to further discussions

Welcome to motoring paradise where miles are accompanied with smiles.

Mike

[cruisermark]

Just wanted to add that i changed my discs and pads about 18 months ago using mintex. Im overall happy with them however they do make a groaning sound when coming to a complete stop at low speeds. I would probably buy genuine ones next time

[NormLS400]

Congrats on the new car. As for parts, if you become a gold club member you get a discount on Lexus parts. Although for parts like brakes you should be able to get them from most motor factors such as partco, TMS or Euro Car Parts, etc.

[Ed Graefe]

Hi and welcome

My discs were wobbling like mad at high speed. I bought a cheap set of pads+discs off eBay, had my local mechanic change them and they were perfect afterwards.

Don't get me wrong, buying original parts is probably better for the car but you can throw a lot of money at these cars on relatively minor things and you will never see anything like the return. It takes them from being a sensible, usable car to a money pit.

The last time my car was sold(before I bought it) it was sold for scrap as the owners were quoted rediculous prices to fix a few problems I've rectified with help from this forum and a few parts from eBay, and all for less than a minor service on a ford fiesta.

Hope this helps

Ed

[oliver261]

thanks for all the feedback/suggestions.

i went for the blueprints today as suggested above. as its a bank holiday wont be here until tuesday. will let you know how i get on.