New Ls400 Owner

[marvs]

So is that long u shaped pipe in front of the radiator at the bottom part of the power steering piping? I figured it was for cooling something, but had no idea what! Mine's crusty as hell!

[Rupert Dubreaux]

So is that long u shaped pipe in front of the radiator at the bottom part of the power steering piping? I figured it was for cooling something, but had no idea what! Mine's crusty as hell!

That's right Steve power steering fluid cooling .

[ianlea73]

Here's a few pics as promised.

I've decided to hold off on wheels etc & concentrate on getting her running like new.

I've ordered plugs & leads as mine look original & I really struggled to remove the leads from the plug top so are more than likely going to break when I remove them anyway.Oils & cambelt have recently been done so no problems there.

I've also ordered some replacement floor mats.

I want to get the lcd display working on the heater/clock assembly.

The cd multi disk in the boot is powering up & accepting the cassette but I get ERR on the stereo so I'll look into that later too.

I also bought some reverse park sensors today as it's impossible to see the back of the car when parking!!

[Malc]

Ah parking ...... my personal sensor when parking, ME, lines up the end of the boot lid with the very bottom ( just ) of the car's windscreen behind it .... then I know I have about 3 inches spare gap between the two cars ......... nearly works every time

Malc

[Rupert Dubreaux]

Your reg no is very similar to mine Ian which also ends in BAM , it originated from Swindon Lexus when first Registered in August 1994 . Pics look good I hope you enjoy your car as much as I have mine .

Ah parking ...... my personal sensor when parking, ME, lines up the end of the boot lid with the very bottom ( just ) of the car's windscreen behind it .... then I know I have about 3 inches spare gap between the two cars ......... nearly works every time

Malc

What happens on the times it dosent Malc ?

[Malc]

Well, it's not THAT often !!!!! and a very slight nudge really doesn't do any harm at all ........... generally occurs when I get a bit boxed in by another car in a car parking space and there's zero option other than to stay in that spot till Christmas maybe

Malc

[IHgs300]

Well, it's not THAT often !!!!! and a very slight nudge really doesn't do any harm at all ........... generally occurs when I get a bit boxed in by another car in a car parking space and there's zero option other than to stay in that spot till Christmas maybe

Malc

So you would be tolerant of other people just "slightly nudging " your lexus out of the way??? I wouldn't for sure.

[marvs]

I have on street parking where I live, and I've learned that bumpers are very tolerant to the odd slow nudge!There's no moving of the other car out of the way - it's just to maximise the amount of space you have to manoeuvre in.

What's worse is when people who have no idea where their car's corners are just scrape their way out, at the expense of my car's corner paintwork!

Although saying that, my car's paintwork is in a terrible state, so I'm not too fussy about the odd new scuff here or there. So I can understand that other people would be a bit more protective of their Lex.

[marvs]

I've ordered plugs & leads as mine look original & I really struggled to remove the leads from the plug top so are more than likely going to break when I remove them anyway.Oils & cambelt have recently been done so no problems there.

I've also ordered some replacement floor mats.

I want to get the lcd display working on the heater/clock assembly.

The cd multi disk in the boot is powering up & accepting the cassette but I get ERR on the stereo so I'll look into that later too.

I also bought some reverse park sensors today as it's impossible to see the back of the car when parking!!

Where have you ordered your plugs & leads from? I'm interested in doing the same for mine. Same question for the floor mats actually!

Did you see my other thread on the climate LCD supplier? If you're happy to do the soldering yourself, I reckon he's the best bet. Mine was delivered from the states for ~£40 all in. No additional invoice from customs (yet) either.

Let me know how your parking sensors install goes. The kits from eBay look very good value, but when I tapped my rear bumper it doesn't sound like it's hollow, which was the main thing putting me off, as I wasn't sure how deep I'd have to drill. That and not yet knowing of a cabling route from the bumper into the boot space.

[Malc]

Ian, well, yes of course if I was so inconsiderate as to leave them little other option ........ after all it's only a car

albeit my Lexus ............ mustn't take life too seriously ...... just remembering a couple of weeks ago visiting the Humber Collection in Hull ........ lovely fella there who owns it Alan Marshall .... took 3 of his cars ( drove them ) to a NEC show ( I think, the NEC ) only had time to leather them off at the show and let all and sundry oooh and aaahhhh over the cars, lots of touchy feely too ...... a chap with a pristine Austin Healey 3000 also at the show with his " baby ", trailered it in under wraps too, wouldn't let people breathe anywhere near it, not a drop of oil or anything at all with the car to trouble it's concourse state .........

The Humbers won the show !!!! his view too, only cars BUT of course special cars but really there to be used everyday if he can and not to be wrapped in cotton wool and worrying over every slight hiccup along the way ( life's too short ).

Malc .................. ... maybe it's my dotage !!!!!

[Bluesman]

I've ordered plugs & leads as mine look original & I really struggled to remove the leads from the plug top so are more than likely going to break when I remove them anyway.Oils & cambelt have recently been done so no problems there.

I've also ordered some replacement floor mats.

I want to get the lcd display working on the heater/clock assembly.

The cd multi disk in the boot is powering up & accepting the cassette but I get ERR on the stereo so I'll look into that later too.

I also bought some reverse park sensors today as it's impossible to see the back of the car when parking!!

Where have you ordered your plugs & leads from? I'm interested in doing the same for mine. Same question for the floor mats actually!

Did you see my other thread on the climate LCD supplier? If you're happy to do the soldering yourself, I reckon he's the best bet. Mine was delivered from the states for ~£40 all in. No additional invoice from customs (yet) either.

Let me know how your parking sensors install goes. The kits from eBay look very good value, but when I tapped my rear bumper it doesn't sound like it's hollow, which was the main thing putting me off, as I wasn't sure how deep I'd have to drill. That and not yet knowing of a cabling route from the bumper into the boot space.

Here you go guys. A calculator, dont forget you pay import duty on all the charges which includes how much the P&P is as well from the States. http://www.dutycalculator.com/

There is a ceiling which I think is around £80 before duty is payable (check that I could be wrong)

If you havent recieved an invoice before delivery you will not be getting one. Its one of those things whereby when money needs to be paid before you get the goods they make damn sure you have paid before they will release the goods. You see the government can get things right first time every time.

[Parrot of Doom]

The long u-shaped pipe on mine looks crusty as hell but I'm not paying Lexus prices for that, I'm going to a local transmission specialist and they can make me one - it's only a bent pipe.

You should repair yours as soon as you can, you never know when that weep will turn into a raging torrent (which of course ends up on the road, and oil + water + winter + asphalt = lethal)

A bit of copper tube from your local friendly plumber will do the job just as well.

I wouldn't use copper, what with it being a fairly soft metal that's easily damaged. I'd much rather have a steel pipe on there.