Tinonline

Well the air filter certainly needs replacing. I did think of the Cats but then the results for other test points are a Pass albeit with high readings.

Thanks Pete Given the miles I do (not many) I don’t need to worry so much about fuel costs. To my shame I realised my air filter is nearly 3 years old and has done just shy of 10k miles. I’ll fit a new one this evening. Time goes so quickly I thought it was younger than that. I’ve also got some MAF cleaner on order in addition to cat/emission cleaner.

Yep thanks for all your replies...it runs on Tesco unleaded most of the time although a dose of shell went in a bit ago... Think I’ll bang some quality fuel in with a cat cleaner and exercise the motorway tarmac a bit...👍😉

Bit annoyed really as I’m not convinced the car had been properly warmed up for the test. My Lexus yr 2000 mileage 89532 all servicing up to date. Fast idle CO. 0.01 Pass HC 8 Pass 1.010 Pass but natural idle test failed: CO 0.71 Fail Any ideas? 😢

Hi I use Euro carparts for oil and a range of stuff. For parts I try to buy Lexus but from Birmingham Lexus as they give a discount. Recently i’ve purchased lower ball joints for my LS400 from Rockauto in the States but I went for the top range at about £100 all in. Lower arm bushes were Lexus. All pulleys, waterpump, belt were Gates parts from the US too at a snip as they were on offer. One pulley was same manufacturer as original part...true might have been made to different spec but who’s to know? I’m careful of eBay and there’s a lot of cheap junk out there even by what seems to be reputable manufacturers and big distributors. Next job up will be rear brakes and I’m torn as a pair of Brembo discs and decent ceramic pads and shoes from the States even with tax and delivery are way cheaper than Lexus. For me price and quality are a balance. I need to repair probably about £2ks worth of dents, bumper damage and get the wheels done and other half has allocation for new kitchen, bathrooms etc.. 😂 I’d like to see quality standards applied to replacement parts so buyers have knowledge and choice.

Agree with comments doubt it’s cam related. I’d suspect one of the pulleys...waterpump included.

😉 For the cost of a new belt...I'd replace it anyway but given your mileage I wouldn't think twice. You need two pairs of hands for this - or that's just me...ha ha ha

I’d probs go for a second hand part...it’s one of those nigglers that should be fixed....keeps the rubbish/water from the discs and directs air too...

Looking through my LS receipts folder I saw that I’d slipped a month and a bit on my annual oil change. Thought it was April. I’d bought the oil: Shell Helix 5W 30 and in a few days I’d got the OE filter and drain plug gasket. All went to plan. As I waited for the old oil I had a mooch around the engine bay with my torch. Quite a while ago I’d been working on the car and managed to flatten the battery...lost that nut that holds the top support bracket on top of the battery...must have knocked it away but swore I’d put it in my tool bag. Couldn’t find it of course. Something caught my eye...right down the back of the battery on the bulkhead...dull shine of a washer like object. Grabbing my horseshoe magnet, I tied a length of scrap wire to it and went fishing. After a couple of sweeps and plonks on it I pulled it up. There it was...the nut with the washer base...now tightly and rightly in place. 😁

That’s certainly a bent backplate. You've a few options from buying new to second hand or straighten yours out, grind off the rust and paint in a hammerite type paint. Take the wheel off, brake caliper brake assembly the back breaks are more work. The hub might be seized on so wd40 and heat might be needed. The plate will be held on a series of very seized bolts by the look of it or it will come away as the hub is released. I can’t recall. The new part is expensive but labour shouldn’t be too much...any garage can do this.

With Cotswold Pete here...admit I’m biased towards a Mark 4. Brakes easily fixed...my suspension at 80k miles all original though needed ball joints, lower control arm bushes... Check that cambelt, water pump and pulleys have been done. Cheap 400s won’t be around much longer so if you want even now you have to pay.

Hi good luck👍 It’s good where garages are happy fitting customer sourced parts...my Jag indie will do same on wife’s car but I haven’t done that there yet as I’ve fixed a lot of stuff myself. Or he’s best placed to get tricky parts like front uprights. A useful aspect of this is you can buy parts over months or even years when offers or stock becomes available for later fitting. That spreads the costs. You can control the parts quality more easily too. I’m having a lot of business relationships with plumbers at the moment and need resources for my place so it just makes fiscal sense to run efficiently. 😉🧐

At long, long last I have had my MK4 LS400 front suspension sorted. The last MOT reported leaking ball joint covers and I've seen the cracks in the lower control arm bushes not to mention the clunk from the driver's side one. There's a small garage that does tyres and servicing in Caversham, Reading and I regularly source tyres for fitting there, not too far from me, always busy with all sorts of cars in for repair. A conversation a while ago ended up with me entrusting the work to them with me sourcing the parts. This was the damage: Lower control arm bushes only - Lexus Birmingham - £95.00 Ball joints - Beck & Arnley (premium) - Rock Auto - £105 including duty, carriage Tie-rod end x1 - £36 sourced on need to replace by garage Alignment - £42 Labour - £231 + VAT Total project bill was £513.00 (I paid the garage £312.00) I'm delighted with the work and the steering wheel is dead dead centre, no more clunks and everything feels steady and solid. I was looking at doing the job myself but on this occasion didn't regret leaving it to the professionals. My motor is also due its annual oil change so I'm just waiting on a sump plug washer. 😊

Yeh don’t bother. Maybe a search and wait but £900 isn’t nothing...could be a lot for a pile...

£500 tops if it’s too rough sell it for parts.

Hi Those seals look shot to me. 🧐 I’d check door seals too. And “moonroof” sunroof to most of the world... If in doubt replace them.

My Mk4 needs a new coolant reservoir cap. It’s now pushing 90k miles and 19 years old. Fits ok but the unit rattles... Also I’m loosing coolant, not a lot but I suspect it’s more on cold short journeys...the cap is probably venting over time. I haven’t topped it up for a while. No leaks and the water pump is not too old. I’ve tried to replace before with a First Line part, it didn’t fit. Just would not go on. I didn’t like the quality at all either. This time, I bought a QH part checking again the fit to spec. It didn’t fit. No way. It’s made for other applications and I don’t know if the Mk3 is different...adding the Mk4 to the list is incorrect. I’m hoping to source one from Lexus Birmingham as they give a discount...it’ll be £35 instead of £42. Quite a strong amount. I reckon I got a seal as I applied Vaseline to the contact surface and rubber seal...undoing it the next morning there was a short hiss of released pressure...no I don’t believe it’s gasket failure pressure...😁 Did a fabulous 200+mile trip on Saturday and as usual the mainly motorway mileage was eaten up in comfort. Anyone had this issue?

Hi Given that there’s nothing amiss with your suspension...you’ll need to get it to a tyre place to straighten via the steering arms and check the geometry. Some shops have difficulty in getting it right so test it before you drive off...mines a tad off and it’s like looking at a picture, crooked on the wall.🤪

I’d go and get it tested. It’s the cold test/recover rate whatever they call it that counts. Test will find a failed cell too.

Every time this piggy went to market to buy a battery...local Lexus gave me a good price and unit does the job. I don’t do much mileage. The spec and cold start specs are spot on. On wife’s Jag I had a well known carparts co battery and suffered voltage leak. Also...it’s a known Jag fault so I freaked a bit until an auto elec said...no don’t buy those batteries. A common issue. I wasn’t sure but said auto factor were very good and replaced unit with me paying few bob upgrade for a premium unit. Result? Sorted. Careful what you buy.😉🤔

Oh sorry to hear. This is tricky. Batteries are good at expiring at the due time. Disconnected batteries probably last the same time as a working one. I know it’s not logical and I stand to be corrected. I’ve had great batteries that do well with little use connected up...and bad ones. Lexus ones are ok. I think 3-4 years...just buy a new one.

That’s a brake switch sticking or plain worn out...

I didn't have the nerve to try the very cheap ones you can pick up - they are probably ok. Mine was a branded one, Pagid I think for around £40. If you get to your pads in time you don't need to replace them...🙂 A few folk do too much work around removing them and not replacing and rigging the circuit to remove the light... They're a useful function and worth having.

Sound like the brake wear sensor itself. As the pads get thin it rubs away the sensor exposing the connector to make the metal to metal circuit that trips the light. The sensor is finished at this stage. Replacing the sensor will fix this.

Time is money when you need a fix. You have to pay. With a good fix then that’s it, for years and years and miles... some fix themselves some get the parts and get it fixed, some get it fixed upon them... yes that’s a la Shakespeare (Twelth Night)