Glenn

Hi all,

Does anyone know if the front brake callipers are the same on a GS430 (2001) as the MK11 GS300 callipers? I need a new calliper and my supplier only lists GS300 ones but we think they maybe same as GS430?

Thanks

Glenn

Thats great, thanks very much for the help, feel more confident doing the job now

Hello all,

I have just bought new front discs and pads for my 2001 gs430, before I go to fit them has anyone recently done this job on there GS and if so are they easy enough to do or do you have any advice, i.e. little now how tricks etc?

Have done plenty of discs and pads on other cars ir fords and vauxhalls etc but not done any on a lexus yet. Any advice would be greatly accepted.

Thanks in advance.

Glenn

When you use the key does it activate the central locking or just lock the drivers door? If the latter, it's most likely not setting the alarm. My 2002 IS doesn't set the alarm off the key, so I'd assume the GS has a similar system.

Another way to test it is to lock the car with the remote, and then unlock the door using the key and see if it sets the alarm off, if it does then the key doesn't operate the alarm.

Yep, just done the experiment locking and unlocking the car with and without remote(neighbours well pleased?) if i lock using fob then open with key alarm goes off. If i lock using key it still operates the central locking but I can open it with the key and no alarm. So presume alarm doesnt activate when locking with the key? Also noticed that the hazards dont flash when i lock with the key but they do flash when locking with the fob. Suppose this should have answered my question really.

Thanks

glenn

Hello all,

Just a quick one, does anyone know if when you lock the GS (GS430 2001) with the key in the drivers door rather than using the remote button to lock it. Does this lock the car without setting the alarm? I just wondered as my alarm has gone off during the night a few times, usually 3 am! so wanted to know if I lock it using the key does this leave the alarm off?

Thanks

Glenn

Wow, not a mark on your GS, looks fantastic. I wish mine came up like that, last time I polished mine all I could see was all the trolley dings down both sides from the dreaded supermarket trips

Hi all,

I had 4 new Bridgestone's fitted to my GS430 last week and its like driving a different car now. No more tramlining and even goes round sharp bends in the wet with no yellow lights flashing away on the dash :winky:

Was not sure about spending the money at first as I only really needed 2 rear tyres but have to say it is worth every penny.

What did you have on prior to that?

Malc

Hi Malc,

It had pirreli's on the front and I think michelin sport contacts on the rear? not sure if thats what the ones on the back to be honest but definatly pirrellis on the front. Still drives great but have now developed a knocking noise from the front left. Can only here it at low speeds usually whilst manouvering around like parking etc. Suspect it might be a sticky brake calliper as this seems common reading other posts?

Glenn

Hi all,

I had 4 new Bridgestone's fitted to my GS430 last week and its like driving a different car now. No more tramlining and even goes round sharp bends in the wet with no yellow lights flashing away on the dash :winky:

Was not sure about spending the money at first as I only really needed 2 rear tyres but have to say it is worth every penny.

I have exactly the same situation!! It comes about because at some point a dealer will have refurbished the 4 wheels on the car, and ignored the one in the boot. Then you go to change the wheel, and of course you then have 3 silver ones and a polished one.

I don't think they are chrome as such, rather polished and then lacquered alloy. It lay therefore be possible to remove the paint and then buff them up with a polisher - would be a lot of effort though. You'd need to get them lacquered as well or they would corrode horribly in no time. My intention is just to have the chrome one sprayed up silver to match the others, it will cost a lot less that way!

Hi Mike, I was also thinking that by the time the nice shiney wheel has been on for a few weeks going up and down the motorways in this weather, it probably wont look much different to the other 3?

I have the same problem with my GS430, I have to get hold of the cable under the slam panel to the left hand side and give it a few good pulls then it seems to catch and stay shut.

Glenn

Hello all,

I had to replace one of my back wheels with the spare wheel today due to a slightly illegal tyre. As the spare tyre is new i decided to swap them to save a bit of money. Took the spare out and it is a Chrome alloy, still the standard 17 inch lexus alloy as on the GS430 but its chrome finished. Looks great apart from the other wheels on my car are not chrome effect Rather than get the tyre swapped onto the old wheel I have decided to try and get hold of another 3 chrome plated wheels as it does look smart on the car. Does anyone know of any up for sale? or any ideas who I could try apart from the lexus dealer due to £££££'s

Cheers

Glenn

I would recommend using Toyota LLC Red coolant rather than adding water. Stops corrosion and water pump wear etc.

Thanks Colin I will get some of that, my coolant is like a dark colour at the mo not red? Hope its not oil??

Good point about the antifreeze dave, will have to check that. The colour of the coolant is actually a dark brownish colour but it doesnt look like oil in the water so I am guessing that this is the antifreeze in the system? I always thought that if oil was geting into the coolant it makes it go a bit sludgy looking. Hope this is the case. I will try and take a pic of the set up and post it tomorrow to get your opinion's. Thanks for your help and ideas on this by the way. I always expect the worst when it comes to problems with cars and £££££££££'s it could cost.

Yes the expansion tank is connected to the cooling system, ie through hose going from bottom of tank. If i squeez the main top coolant hose it does bubble up into expansion tank. I have had car sat ticking over after warmed up and it doesnt get hot or bubble or anything out of the ordinary? also have checked the small outlet on top of rad with no hose attached to it and no sign of water coming out of it? I wonder if its had the rad changed for a none OEM one as you say Colin and been made to fit? It all seems very odd to me anyway? have had car for about 4 weeks now and driven around 800 miles and have probably added about half a litre to the expansion tank. Did a 300 mile round trip last week all on motorway at reasonable speeds and the temp guage didnt budge from the middle all of the journey. The engine oil is nice and clean still and no sign of sludge on the oil filler cap, so hoping its nothing serious like head gasket leaking etc.

One of our company cars is a Renault Laguna with tyre sensors, it now tells us that it has 4 flat tyres all the time? Got fed up of paying out for the special valves as they keep snapping too. It is a renault though so we are used to the dash being lit up like an xmas tree. lol

See attached. Not every easy to see.

Thanks for the pic Colin, yep mine is different to that? The small hose going from top of rad to the expansion tank just under the cap is not on mine? I wonder if someone has changed the expansion tank and put a different type on mine as mine has not got a fittment for the small hose to go too? Interesting, would explain the water not able to stay at max level.

Well, it must be going somewhere... Water isn't compressible, so if you keep adding more then it's either leaking out somewhere or else there is a big old airlock somewhere that you are slowly filling up!

Can't remember off-hand whether you are supposed to check the coolant level with the engine warm or cold; I'd guess cold because you'd need to be careful of escaping steam if you opened it up whilst it was hot. How much more water have you added now, compared to when you got the car?

I agree Mike, water cant just shrink? I have noticed something odd, on top of my radiator next to the cap there is like an over flow pipe which is part of the rad, but no rubber hose attached to it or anything? i.e. it goes nowhere? I am sure that on other gs430's i have seen a pipe going from here to the cap on the expansion tank? Could be wrong? can you remember what your GS is like? Seems odd as the cap on my expansion tank has not got any attachments for a pipe to go onto but have wondered if its been messed about with by previous owner or something.

Thanks for the replies, I have added about half a litre of coolant and the heater seems to have been sorted, fingers crossed but every time I check the coolant level it is always below the bottom line. It doesnt matter how often i top it up or how many miles i have driven its always below the min line when i check it? I cant see any signs of a water leak and the engine temp is always just under the middle mark on the guage and never goes any higher. Not sure why this is unless the cap on the expansion tank is faulty or something? Think it will just have to be a characteristic of the car as it doesnt seem to be causing a problem, it just niggles me that the level never stays on the max line?

Thanks for the advice, will have a look tomorrow in the day light. Just backed it into a damn lampost tonight whilst collecting the chinese take away!!! Not having much luck so far?

PS the bang might have released the air lock

Hello all,

Picked up my 2001 GS430 a few days ago now, today i noticed that the heating wasnt blowing very warm into the passenger side even though the dual temps are both set to max. I have also noticed like a gurgling sound behind the dash when i rev the engine? Anyone any ideas? have a horrible feeling it may have an air lock or something? hence the bubble sound when i rev the engine.

If it is air in the system i am wondering how its got there and how do i get rid of it. I am worried as the last car i had with a simular problem needed a new head gasket in the end and dont fancy doing that on a GS430

Any ideas would be very greatfully recieved

Glenn

Hi Paul, they are hard to beat with regards to value for money, its good that your cam belt has already been done I will have to get mine done at the next service I think. Was thinking of spending the money and getting lexus to do it as it keeps all the history with the main dealers. Since my last Lexus I have had a Saab 93 and a Volvo T5 which are both nice but as soon as I sat in the GS430 I just thought, YES its nice to be back! especially for the money.

Glenn

Thanks for the welcomes, its nice to be back after owning a few various cars since my last lexus.

although for a 7 year old car at that mileage wouldn't pay dealer rates myself...also I'd consider getting it looked at now anyway rather than wait as costly exercise if it breaks....100k wear in one car can be completely different in another.

Thanks for the replies, i have gone ahead and bought the car today, seems ok for the money(4400) few scuffs on the bumpers but nothing major and its the navigator so thats a bonus. The guy at the garage rekons the engine has a timing chain? but I am sure that its a belt, correct me if im wrong. Its got a full history all by lexus last service at 77,000 and it now has 84,000 on the clock so wont worry about it until next service is due, as you say Mark probably not worth dealer rates at his age and mileage.

Glenn

Hello, not been on here since I sold my IS300 back in 2005. Nice to be back though. I am in the process of buying a GS430 SE 2001 year with 87k on the clock. I was wondering when the timing belt should be changed (guessing 90k?) and does anyone know the rough cost to have it done by Lexus please?

Thanks

Glenn

Don't know if this makes sense or not but I have noticed with my IS300 that it seems to learn the way you drive it. If I take it easy for a couple of days then decide to have some fun it seems a bit reluctant at first. Then after a while using E-shift mode and a heavy right foot it wakes up and springs into action.

Probably sounds strange but this is what I have found with mine.

Glenn