ambermarine

Steve It is possible to read the diagnostic codes on your car by using the box terminals on the engine and the one in the drivers footwell .The method used is simply connecting the terminals within the respective boxes and reading the output either on the engine warning light or in the case of the transmission on the overdrive on off light. The information is transmitted in a series of intermitent flashes or blinks of the respective light,the signal is then matched up to whatever code it designates. But unless you have access to the workshop manual were all the methods of terminal connections and codes are stored it is unlikely it will be of use . It is also possible to check a heap of other components in the engine including the operation of the oxygen sensors and how good or bad they are.The Manuals there are two, are about £300 from Lexus but they do come up on ebay apparently from the USA and to all intents and purposes will cover UK and Jap imported Lexus cars.

Hi It as the symptoms of one of the oxygen sensors failing on the left or right bank these determine via information given by them to the Engine ECU how much fuel to give the engine for the right mixture under driving conditions demanded by the throttle. If say the oxygen sensor is giving a signal of unburnt fuel when there is'nt any unburnt fuel then the fuel supply will be restricted when it gets to a certain preset rev range in the computer.The Oxygen sensor fails gradually allowing the engine to function but giving a timely warning to get the fault rectified .If you continue to run the car until it as completly failed the engine will not start or if it does it will run awfully and you will get a engine warning light. There are sites in the USA that supply oxygen sensors relativly cheaply and they are not difficult to fit.The immediate task is to determine which of the oxygen sensors is failing. There are two one to each side if you are unable to test them for electrical resistance as per the workshop manual instructions ,then a quick solution would be to replace them both, at a rough estimate of say $100 dollars its a lot cheaper than Lexus. Thanks for the suggestions guys, the lastest is that both CATs are in good shape and the garage found one fault code indicating a faulty oxy sensor, but no indication of which one... Hopefully the guys will be able to narrow this down. Hi According to the LS400 workshop Manual ;troubleshooting diagnostic codes . code 21 Main oxygen sensor signal on left bank. code 27 sub-oxygen sensor left bank code 28 main oxygen sensor right bank code 29 sub oxygen sensor right bank.hope this helps.

Hi I think there is some misunderstanding here of what are the flanges and what is the bush housing. The original bushes were fitted flush to the edge of the bush housing and the flanges of the arm (Sides) fitted flush to the edge of the bushe housing.These adus bushes have a leading edge that butts up against the sides of the housing and the internal sleeve protrudes approx 1.5mm each side of the housing. When the bolt is tightened up it compresses the bushes into the sides of the housing at the same time it tightens up on the sleeve and grips it, the compression centralises the bolt within the sleeve. This does the same job as the original bush but uses side compression as against the original bush which held all the compression within the housing.There is no need to wrap the bolt in anything as it is not supposed to touch the sides. These Bushes have been fitted as they are to loads of Lexus LS400s all across the USA and if you go on the Lexls the Lexus owners club US site there is a tutorial on fitting them as well as plenty of posts of people who have fitted them.

HiThe replacement bushing for the trailing arm as been designed as a compression fit so that as you tighten up the bolt the bushing spreads and compesses within the housing the fact that the bolt is not a tight fit when initially assembled is to aid the reassembly of the components.Because the sleeve is slightly longer the flanges of the arm compress against the ends of the sleeve and at the same time force the ends of the bushes against the ends of the housing this locks the whole thing up so that there cannot be any movement of the bolt within the sleeve. The important consideration is that you torque up the bolt to 130lbs per sq inch to achieve this result.

Hi It as the symptoms of one of the oxygen sensors failing on the left or right bank these determine via information given by them to the Engine ECU how much fuel to give the engine for the right mixture under driving conditions demanded by the throttle. If say the oxygen sensor is giving a signal of unburnt fuel when there is'nt any unburnt fuel then the fuel supply will be restricted when it gets to a certain preset rev range in the computer.The Oxygen sensor fails gradually allowing the engine to function but giving a timely warning to get the fault rectified .If you continue to run the car until it as completly failed the engine will not start or if it does it will run awfully and you will get a engine warning light. There are sites in the USA that supply oxygen sensors relativly cheaply and they are not difficult to fit.The immediate task is to determine which of the oxygen sensors is failing. There are two one to each side if you are unable to test them for electrical resistance as per the workshop manual instructions ,then a quick solution would be to replace them both, at a rough estimate of say $100 dollars its a lot cheaper than Lexus.

There is I think some misunderstanding here of what the ect power switch actually does.As far as the Mark 1 goes and I have no reason to believe that it is any different on the later marks is hold the gear that the car kicks down to when you gun the throttle, say in a overtaking manouvere .This is a safety feature that makes sure the car does not lose any forward acceleration by changing up into the next gear as would normally happen without the ect power enabled, that way the passing distance speed you have estimated to do the overtaking is maintained and not dibilatated by the lapse of acceleration caused by a gear change. So to check wether it is on or off is simple, just gun the pedal and if it stays in the kick down gear whilst still accelerating it is on ,if the car changes up a gear then it is off. As for the snow well that feature was not on the Mark 1 which means my car as never seen snow since the first time I tried to drive it on snow ,the experience terrified me that much I still have nightmares over it sixteen years later.

HI As I was the the thread that reccommended the 3 litre package let me reiterate the method and time scale.I used a marine engine 12volt electric oil extraction pump that I used to distribute in Europe for an American manufacturer.Its about the size of a tin of beans and connects to the battery for power,originally designed to connect permanantly to the sump plug and left in situ on marine engines. It also operates perfectly well by inserting a plastic tube down the dipstick access tube. It moves transmission fluid at a gallon a minute so taking it out is a relativly quick exercise .When I mentioned a run round the block I meant just that not a trip to Penzance, alternativly you could just sit on the drive and move the gearstick through the range this will pump the oil through the box sufficient for the exercise.To sum up it took me about an hour to do the 15 litre gradual exchange of the transmission oil. Before anybody asks the pumps are no longer available but the marine engine oil extraction vaccum pump supplied at chandlers and Marinas will also do the job.

Hi Try checking the voltage in your keyfob battery ,ascertain what it is then put a new battery in . The transmitter needs a certain voltage to transmit a signal to the reciever in the car and this can become erratic when the voltage drops below a certain level.You are correct that hot and cold do have a effect on the voltage as a rise in temprature will had a little more life to any battery for a short time.

I Sympathise with you on this one ,but I can honestly say that My 1990 Ls400 as never had a light bulb replaced. But before we get carried away my car as only done 180000 miles. The point is that its not how good the light bulbs are it is the superb electrical wiring and balance that is the key to low frequency of electrical system faults on the LS400. I Have a 1976 Mini kit car that I use for runabout and something goes wrong with the electrics every week mainly the wiring but when I start work on it compared to the Lexus its like an archelogical dig.The plus point is that parts are pennies so I count my blessings that Lexus got it right again.

Hi I changed the transmission fluid on my Mark 1 Lexus when she had done 150k I used a marine engine Pump to suck the oil from the gearbox using the dipstick tube. Advised at the time to do this in three litre stages .ie take out 3 litres put in new 3 litres go for a trip round the block repeat process until the oil is back to red. Using about 15 litres of new doing it this way it enables the process of not shocking the system ,which to all intents and purposes is the seals, the transmission fluid as a ingredient which services the seals and over time the fluid reaches a happy medium with the seals any severe shock to the system will inevitably show up in the seals by way of leaks. With regards to the filter I did not change that as I had no reason to believe there had been any foreign bodies or contaminents in the Gearbox. I have put a further 30k on since then and everything is running smoothly ,I also used this method to change the fluid in the power steering but with obviously less fluid but with shorter periods between service changes.As for the Fluid used I followed the Workshop Manual specs ATF T-11 or equivelant.

Hi The learning curve for me on the ls400 as been 16 years and I have the no 97 car supplied back in 1990 It was mint when I bought it for 19k when it was six years old with 50k on the clock.The one previous owner only sold it because the farm he bought was a awful lane access and he could'nt bear to take the car along it.Now considering the car was 37k new back in 1990 half the retail price after six years seems a lot but bearing in mind there was'nt a lot of second hand stock about then it was par for the course. It as been the best money I have ever spent on a car and the day I bought it I said to my wife do you like it? Yes she said, Good I replied and tounge in cheek I said it's the last car I will ever buy. And sixteen years later I still believe that apart from the obvious, write off ,etc I have no reason to think that this car will fail me in the long term. I look at the later models and the ls430 and apart from more gizmos and a bit more power it is the same car although having driven a friends 430 the ls400 as a softer less road feel experience. A mechanic friend who helps with the big maintainence jobs summed it up.You know this car as well as yourself and to that end you only worry when it goes wrong not when is it going to go wrong . Remember what the President of Toyota said to his engineers on the initail brief of the birth of the LS400. "Go and build the best car in the world" Nuff said.

Hi The upper control arm for your car is available on two USA sites for about $180 per side plus shipping you will then have VAT and P O handling charge to pay when postie calls That works out at about £150 per side,the toydiy site quotes the upper control arm at 210 euros which will then attract vat and shipping just short of £500 for the two. The parts from the states are a lot cheaper because there are more suppliers and you don't have to buy from Lexus although the parts are quoted as oem. www.dealersdirectparts.com www.oemlexusparts.com Hope you find your parts and remember to replace those wishbones the back boxes have to come off.

HI When the various mechanical parts of the any vehicle are developed and tested before they go into production the engineers resolve the best oils ,fluids etc to best aid these components during their working life and it is those engineers based on the results of their tests on the aids used who dictate the specification. Now it may be that various oils and fluids come from the same source before being badged with the car makers name but should anything go amiss with a engine or gearbox and a non specified oil or fluid as been used then if the car is in warranty that will be void and if it is'nt in warranty repairs carried out by Lexus on a vehicle that subsequently fail and it found that the specs for fluids and oils have not been adhered to after the repair Lexus will not take reponsibility for the repair failure. Now one might think that this is a way of making sure that Toyota sell more of their badged fluids and oils but it is,nt it is a way of guaranteeing that they know exactly what they are dealing with when a mechanical part fails and all the testing in pre-production and the information gathered from that testing makes it far easier than scratching their heads and wondering whats caused the problem.When you have a car as well engineered as the Lexus then it is only fair to you and the car that you treat it with the respect it deserves and follow the specifications for all the life of the car .With regard to atm workshops saying this or that its not their car and as professionals I would expect them to follow manufacturers specs .

Hi, I too have been researching these bushes. My car is judderings when braking and castoring at the back. The car has been in my workshop for a week, jacked up, Wheels off, and ive been lubricating all the suspension nuts and bolts with WD40. I got the bolts off the rear bushes on saturday. I have found Prirace.com in the UK that will supply the rear trailing arm/axle carrier arm bushes for under £40 delivered. Im about to order a set today. Looks like the rear axle carrier/trailing arm/strut rod has the same bushes for all 89 - 00 models. That's my first project! The rear suspension arms (No 1 and 2 in my manual but also called Upper and Lower Arms) appear to be different. There are aftermarket bushes for 89-94 models but can't find anything yet for 95-00 models for these two arms. Anyone with a Mk3 done anything other than replace the whole rear arms? There seems to be more 'choice' for front suspension parts. Is that because they wear out quicker? Got the first MOT tomorrow since buying the car so fingers crossed..... Hi You are correct and the lower arm configurations were changed on the Lexus LS400 after 94 when the suspension was updated ,I think that the lower arm was redesigned to incorporate the bushing on the hubside within the arm rather than the knuckle on the hub and as there are no bushings shown anywhere for that after 94 period I am assuming it nessacary to purchase a arm and that will be from Lexus I am afraid to say. With regard to the upper arm I have not seen any reference to wear problems on this arm probably because the hubside fastening is a balljoint and could not be replaced anyway and to that end it is probably a new arm . I should as you say concentrate on the struts first get them done and see how the suspension feels then before you embark on any further effort and expense. Hi Need to make a correction to my last post ,the part I reffered to as the upper suspension arm is in fact the lower suspension arm no 1 and it is also called the toe in arm.The upper suspension arm is in fact the dished wishbone and as a bush to each end,These were replaced on my lexus 10 years ago and according to the tech who did it a ballache as the exhaust as to come off. At the time I got a deal from the service manager as they had cocked up a previous job on the car so he underestimated the time it took by four hrs he had it in for 2 and the job took six and that was replacing the arms not putting new bushes in because at that time bushes were not available anyway so it was not a diy job. I would seriously check out the need for replacing these componenents before starting the job because the cost of the bushes alone from prirace is nearly £200. Ordered the bushings for the rear struts from Auto Warehouse and will tackle that job first and see how she feels. Jerry from Auto Warehouse says he has bushings for the lower suspension arm for a 1995 model too. He has sent me his rear suspension diagram and it is the same as mine and the same as the one I got from my local Lexus dealership today. They are the Adus 536 bushings. Gonna get him to include those as looks accessible for a DIYer. Removing the lower arm does affect the rear wheel allignment but if I mark it up before removal I should be ok!? BTW car failed MOT today because one of my tyres was on the wrong way round!! Got a tyre changing machine at work so will get it turned round tomorrow and then another years motoring! Jim Hi Glad to hear you got the stuff needed ,I did not need to speak to Jerry as I have the workshop Manuals for the LS400 1990. With regard to the Arm removal the diffside fastening of the arm is a cam adjuster and as you have already eluded this is were you put in the matchmark before you unfasten and remove it. failure to do so will result in the wheels being mis-aligned when you put everything back together and as these settings are factory settings you will have a hell of a job finding out what they were. It will mean a Lexus workshop and they will insist on renewing all the cam adjusters before attempting to re jig the teletremy of the car. I am pointing this out so all of the readers of this subject appreciate the serious nature of this procedure. Good luck with your project and remember those bolts are on at 136lbs so you will need a breaker bar and a swear box.

Unfortunate advice I think ,we have been informed outside tempratures were 34 so the solution to the problem is make it really hot in the cabin and apart from the driver and passengers collapsing from heat exhaustion the engine will be fine. The advice given dates back to cars that did'nt have air con and ran rudimentary heating systems and by turning the heat up in the cabin you would take water from the engine to the heater matrix therefore widening the dissapation of the water temprature. We are getting away from the fact that Lexus have built a very highly engineered climate control system and a finely tuned and engineered gearbox and engine which as been built to perform in far more hotter climates than we have in the UK including the middle east which gets desert hot. So if you are to have peace of mind on what caused this phenomenom I would get the relevant systems checked out before it turns into a big bill.

Hi, I too have been researching these bushes. My car is judderings when braking and castoring at the back. The car has been in my workshop for a week, jacked up, Wheels off, and ive been lubricating all the suspension nuts and bolts with WD40. I got the bolts off the rear bushes on saturday. I have found Prirace.com in the UK that will supply the rear trailing arm/axle carrier arm bushes for under £40 delivered. Im about to order a set today. Looks like the rear axle carrier/trailing arm/strut rod has the same bushes for all 89 - 00 models. That's my first project! The rear suspension arms (No 1 and 2 in my manual but also called Upper and Lower Arms) appear to be different. There are aftermarket bushes for 89-94 models but can't find anything yet for 95-00 models for these two arms. Anyone with a Mk3 done anything other than replace the whole rear arms? There seems to be more 'choice' for front suspension parts. Is that because they wear out quicker? Got the first MOT tomorrow since buying the car so fingers crossed..... Hi You are correct and the lower arm configurations were changed on the Lexus LS400 after 94 when the suspension was updated ,I think that the lower arm was redesigned to incorporate the bushing on the hubside within the arm rather than the knuckle on the hub and as there are no bushings shown anywhere for that after 94 period I am assuming it nessacary to purchase a arm and that will be from Lexus I am afraid to say. With regard to the upper arm I have not seen any reference to wear problems on this arm probably because the hubside fastening is a balljoint and could not be replaced anyway and to that end it is probably a new arm . I should as you say concentrate on the struts first get them done and see how the suspension feels then before you embark on any further effort and expense. Hi Need to make a correction to my last post ,the part I reffered to as the upper suspension arm is in fact the lower suspension arm no 1 and it is also called the toe in arm.The upper suspension arm is in fact the dished wishbone and as a bush to each end,These were replaced on my lexus 10 years ago and according to the tech who did it a ballache as the exhaust as to come off. At the time I got a deal from the service manager as they had cocked up a previous job on the car so he underestimated the time it took by four hrs he had it in for 2 and the job took six and that was replacing the arms not putting new bushes in because at that time bushes were not available anyway so it was not a diy job. I would seriously check out the need for replacing these componenents before starting the job because the cost of the bushes alone from prirace is nearly £200.

Hi Scenario could be a failing water pump as this happened to me about seven years ago on my 1990 ls It did exactly what yours as done ran normally for a few weeks and then failed ,fortunately there was no damage to the engine but it cost nearly a grand and a towin to fix at Lexus .Buggers up the cambelt the tensioners and they along with the water pump needed replacing.I noticed a slight change in the frequency noise coming from the front of the engine prior to this event but put it down to normal wear and tear, but it was'nt a screaming sound so it is hard to determine the cause. It might be worth checking out this possibility.

Hi, I too have been researching these bushes. My car is judderings when braking and castoring at the back. The car has been in my workshop for a week, jacked up, Wheels off, and ive been lubricating all the suspension nuts and bolts with WD40. I got the bolts off the rear bushes on saturday. I have found Prirace.com in the UK that will supply the rear trailing arm/axle carrier arm bushes for under £40 delivered. Im about to order a set today. Looks like the rear axle carrier/trailing arm/strut rod has the same bushes for all 89 - 00 models. That's my first project! The rear suspension arms (No 1 and 2 in my manual but also called Upper and Lower Arms) appear to be different. There are aftermarket bushes for 89-94 models but can't find anything yet for 95-00 models for these two arms. Anyone with a Mk3 done anything other than replace the whole rear arms? There seems to be more 'choice' for front suspension parts. Is that because they wear out quicker? Got the first MOT tomorrow since buying the car so fingers crossed..... Hi You are correct and the lower arm configurations were changed on the Lexus LS400 after 94 when the suspension was updated ,I think that the lower arm was redesigned to incorporate the bushing on the hubside within the arm rather than the knuckle on the hub and as there are no bushings shown anywhere for that after 94 period I am assuming it nessacary to purchase a arm and that will be from Lexus I am afraid to say. With regard to the upper arm I have not seen any reference to wear problems on this arm probably because the hubside fastening is a balljoint and could not be replaced anyway and to that end it is probably a new arm . I should as you say concentrate on the struts first get them done and see how the suspension feels then before you embark on any further effort and expense.

I presume that 'wearhouse' is an unconscious mis-spell? Wearing bushes from a Wear-house? Warehouse? Please read and understand the post as written I only type the information as I read it.

I think it was Christopher Moltisanti rather than Tony I stand corrected but a point made and whoa what a series.

Hi Interesting survey and after submitting my details it seems my ls400 is now officialy the oldest lexus ls400 legally on the road. and with regards the referral to mobsters the first episode of the Sopranos featured a detailed appraisal of a lexus ls400 that Tony Soprano had just bought.

Having read this sorry tale It is a new phenonemum as far as the forums go and sounds horrendus Personally I would not bother getting this box taken out to service at a Auto transmission shop It is probably better to put another box in. Apart from the present situation as your box stands these boxes are usually bombproof. They are available on ebay and there are Mechs who can fit them without going to Lexus. But depending on how much money you want to spend and bearing in mind how much your car is worth it might be less stressful to say goodbye and invest the money in a another Ls.

Hi Just an update With regards to the Mark 3 LS according to the following link the bushes fit the 90 -00 models. www.armstrongdistributors.com The source I am using for the bushes is USA ebay Auto wearhouse.

Hi I have spent the last three weeks researching this very subject after experiencing progressive vibration at high speeds in my 1990 ls400. The USA lexus owners club and lextreme which covers oz have loads of info on this problem as they especially in the states have more Ls 400s than anywhere. My car as done 170k and it is not uncommon for the trailing arm bushes to fail at 100k . The other bush that goes is the lower arm (hubside),this when it as deteroirated enough gives a sidewards movement in the wheel often mistaken for a failing wheel bearing. The problem with the bushes is that you really have no Idea that they are failing until the car as the problems mentioned . I have decided to replace the bushes on the trailing arm and the lower arm and have bought them from the States the full set for both sides cost £107 shipped I expect I will get hit for vat and handling which will add another £30 but I can assure you that is cheap.They are ADUS bushes and from all accounts the same as Lexus use anyway but badged as Toyota. If you go to Lexus for these Bushes you wont get them first of all they will try to sell you the whole lower Arm as they do not replace bushes last shout on a arm was £160 plus vat. As for the fitting of the bushes there are several links on the web for this and it is not beyond the individual to fit them or you could take them to your own preferred mech to do it for you. Mine or going on next couple of weeks and I am assured by the research I have done that the ride on the car will be a new experience.

Hi Fellow Lexuns The anti rust treatment I posted on the workshop tips last year gives some insght into the issues that can occur on the LS400 .The early ls 400 mark 1 was vunerable in the area immediatly above the back axle subframe as the factory sprayed rubber underseal did not cover this area and rust could appear within the first five years of the cars life another area to be watched was the area immediatly behind the plastic body trim that formed the bottom part of the wheel arch at the back door.The plastic insert was screwed and plugged to the metal of the body but was also glued on with a heavy duty flexible adhesive, on my car this adhesive was so strong it chattered away the paint it was adhered to, subsequently rust started to appear on the face of the wheel arch surface immediatly below the door closure that was 15 years ago ,we treated the inside of the wheel arch with waxoyl accessing from below through the rubber bungs on the floor pan,and over the years we have treated all the inner cavities with waxoyl.The underside of the car front to back apart from the areas mentioned as stood up to the road conditions and to that end I would not spend 500 quid on duplicating a good application and as most of the corrosion that occurs in this model starts on the inside should another coat of protection be applied to the outside any corrosion starting inside will take longer to appear and by the time it does it could have terminal consequences for the car.