willydoit

Thanks, have worked hard to keep it mint, hence why so gutted at this issue, there are worse things in life that could happen but that doesn't make it any easier. :megaangry: Guess who say's she isnt going to offer to hoover out the car anymore!! Thanks again for your help.

Thanks for that, thought it was but grateful for the confirmation.

May be worth giving this guy a call, I've had two parts from a MK4 he was breaking, also a very helpful person. Kyle 07769 355594 Hi, tried calling him but not getting an answer, did get an automated answer that sounded japanese though!! you dont have an email address for him do you? Sorry it's okay, did eventually get through, apparently he is in Korea at the moment which explains the message :-) have got his email address and will contact him when he returns if I dont get sorted before then. Thanks for your help. Thanks

Hi Malc, I think mine is a Mk4 but have uploaded an image for clarification

Hi Thanks for that, probably still a bit early but will give him a call later on, do you think the version I have is going to be a mk4? I know there were some changes going on at the time, I think this version was the last one before the 430 was introduced. I can post images if that would help identification, it makes it a whole lot easier when trying to source parts ike this if I know which model it is. Thanks again for your help, fingers crossed :-)

Hi all, I have a mint condition 98 LS400 which I have had since it had 7,000 miles on it and it has just done 50,000 miles,. Following what I can only assume was as an overzealous attempt by my wife to remove any dust around the front centre air vent assembly with a vacuum cleaner the left-right up-down adjustment sliders have been broken off from both vents. I have removed the assembly and attempted to repair them but the lugs which clip the slider controls together have broken off completely. It would seem that the actual slider knobs are a two piece plastic assembly with a couple of springs and ball bearings inside which I assume are to apply pressure between the two parts to allow a free movement.along the vent fin when sliding left to right. I have tried gluing the two parts together minus the springs and ball bearings but as soon as I try them one of them has just come apart again. Better glue may be the answer but I am thinking that it would be better to replace the whole vent assembly to keep things right. Can anyone advise where I may be able to get a replacement unit, At a pinch I may be able to manage with just the two slider knob assemblys but would prefer to have the whole fin assemblies for fear of breaking the knobs when attempting to fit them to my fins and vent assembly. My framing plinth is fine and depending upon the condition of the replacement I may need to swap the vent assembly into my outer plinth in order to keep the trim match. I assume the actual vent assembly's are the same charcoal colour across all trims. When taken apart the vent fin assemblies (the bits which look like louvre blinds that move up and dow) are a seperate item and these are the only bits I really need, in fact all i need is the cenre fin for each side which has the slider attached I have had a look on ebay but there only seems to be ones for the earlier model which it would seem had a clock display within the assembly, mine hasnt, the assembly just has the hazard warning switch and the two vents with vent controls. Not sure what model that makes mine, just know it is a 98 version and I read somewhere that the ac vents are a different size on that model, perhaps someone would know if the actual fin assemblies are the same. Having spent the last 9 /10 years keeping this car pristine I am as you can imagine gutted so would be appreciative of any help anyone can provide in helping me source a replacement. I am not sure how much these differ between models so I have attached a rather poor blown up image of the assembly which pops out from the dash, on this model the clock and temperature displays are in the section below this. Thanks in advance for any help provided.

That would be much better, did the unit come with the connector supplied or could I get a plug that I could wire the solar panel into?

Hi WillydoitPersonally I would not combine any accessories with predetermined electrical curcuits serving dedicated components.I dissconected the wiring on mine from the switch and after I had done that I insulated the dead ends coiled it up and stowed under the dashboard as I have no idea were it originates and have no intention of disturbing the dash board fittings to find out. I cannot find it exiting the firewall were it might have led to the underside of the engine room junction box to one of the fused circuits.I would seek proper advice from a trained Auto electrician .I don't know wether one installed the circuit on my car and because of that I de-commisioned it. I have to agree, a lot of potential cost if something goes wrong. Thanks for the advice.

Hi Ambermarine, Thought I was doing well picking up a 7 year old with 7k on the clock, just coming up 50k but still looks and drives like it just came off the forecourt. I was thinking of having a look and adapting the cigar lighter later this week. I have never used the cigar lighter as a cigar lighter but did wonder if I do rewire this to the live feed for the hazard lights, if anyone does inadvertantly use a cigar lighter in it will it handle it without any issues or would it be a problem? Also what guage cabling would you suggest using from the hazard warning switch to the lighter socket and even though the hazard switch is fused should I also add an inline fuse between cigar lighter and hazard switch? Thanks for all your help.

Thanks for the added info, the conditioner I purchased is this item http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Automotive-RSP240-Solar-Maintainer/dp/B003M9FRH2 so not sure if this will be much use after what you have advised.

This is very interesting, the solar unit I purchased is made by Ring, I will check the output of it, unfortunately the vehicle isnt garaged but parked on the drive so using a normal charger / conditioner isnt easy I can however lock the car with the key which I understand doesnt apply the alarm to reduce the extent of the drain, I was advised that my previous battery had a duff cell so have just spent £110 for a 4 year guarantee Halfords battery so hopefully drain will be far less severe than it was before. Unfortunately the solar charger doesnt have any led or anything to indicate if it is charging or not. My existing battery charger is probably almost 30 years old so perhaps doesnt have the elements modern chargers have to prevent over charging etc which may not have helped in the past.

Hi Steve, This sounds ideal, I will have a look and see how to remove both the hazard switch and the cigar loghter. connecting it to the existing lighter socket seems the neatest solution, I dont use it as a lighter but do sometimes use it for my iphone dock but dont see this causing an issue. I have a multi tester so should be able to find the permanent live. Thanks again just what I was wanting. Steve

Hi all, Due to minimal use I want to use a solar battery conditioner on my ls400 98. the conditioner does have a cigar lighter fitting but as cigar lighter on lexus is not permanent live I need to either make it permanent, live or fit an additional lighter socket in glovebox or similar with a permanent live feed by using one of these lighter socket extenders by removing plug and hard wiring. I havent done any mods on the car which is fully stock with less than 50k on clock so want to keep it looking right. Could someone suggest an appropriate permanent live easily accesible from glove box area or would I be better to run cabling directly through bulkhead to battery? I dare say finding a live feed is easy enough but I wouldnt have a clue where it went or whether any damage could ensue by tapping into it for this purpose, hence my request for knowledgeable help. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hi all, Thanks for your help it is appreciated, was a bit concerned about hearing people talk about rotors but now realise they just mean the brake disks, have booked the car in at a local garage for checking over on Tuesday so Thanks again for all your help.

Hi Roy, Thanks for that, but if the wire was broken would the warning not display all the time. Under normal circumstances does the brake wear warning stay on all the time?

Hi all, I have a 98 Ls400 with a genuine 45000 miles on the clock, yesterday the brake wear warning text appeared on the dash, it wasnt there after restarting the car. Having read about the sensor it seems that a wire is broken to generate the warning which would make me think that if the wire is broken through wear the warning would stay on permanently. As mine hasnt and mileage is still low, could this be an electrical blip and do I need to take it to a dealers to get it sorted and if needed the pads replaced or will local kwik fit or similar be capable of replacing pads etc properly. Would have been happy to have this done at a non dealer until I read about rotors which may need to be addressed and the warning sensor replacement. Am obviously concerned that a non dealer may not be aware of how to deal with the sensor and the rotors issues and we may end up with additional costs due to trying to reduce the initial costs but also dont want to pay through the nose at the dealers. It may be that sensors and rotors are common place nowadays and I can get this sorted at any decent garage. Any advice on a) could the pads need changing if the warning isnt on constantly B) Will any decent garage be able to do the job properly. Thanks in advance for any help provided

Thanks for that Timing belt was changed at 6,500 miles and again at 38,000 so that should be fine which I had done by Lexus Sheffield as didnt want to risk possible issues.(They werent the ones who ripped me off) They said at mileage it wasnt worth changing water pump as it was usage that deteriorated that not age. If you would be so kind as to explain ATF it would be appreciated. Dont have spare money to throw at it and appreciate that they are pretty bulletproof but the car is still in almost showroom new condition and I dont want to let things slip and risk potential problems due to some service items possibly never having been changed since it left the factory 14 years ago..

Thanks for that, I have had the car 7 years, it had 7000 miles on it when I bought it, its fine finding a low mileage car but the problem is that you never know whether the garage have bothered to change all the things they should have done at a service if its only done 1000 miles since the last one. Last time it had a major Lexus service they said gearbox oil was like new so didnt change, nor did they change the plugs etc which I understand should have been changed if it had done average miles each year, they said lots didnt need doing and reduced bill slightly but later found out that they didnt reduce it enough to cover what they didnt do so felt ripped off so wont go back, I need to trust the garage I use!! Will get garage to make additional gearbox oil and filter change but will specify need to use proper lubricants and parts. Thanks for info

Hi all, I have a 98 ls400 which now has 40,000 miles on the clock and is probably due for a large service, the last 2-3 services have been carried out by my local garage as due to the age I dont think that paying money to local Lexus dealer is cost efficient in respect of added vehicle value due to Dealer stamp on service history. That said I would feel happier if the vehicle had all the things attended to which would be done on a large service as despite the mileage it is 14 years old. Could someone please advise where I could obtain a service sheet to give to my local garage in order that they can check through all the items fully for my peace of mind. Also everything except the tyres, filters and timing belt are original from the factory (including brake pads), when would you advise that it would be beneficial to change the spark plugs, they seem to be fine at present, still returns an average of 26-27 mpg local driving and over 30 on runs. Only issue I have is that especially on cold mornings there seems to be a bit of vibration which seems to be something to do with the auto box as I have to leave it for a few seconds before it engages gear on cold mornings and wondered if this was normal or was something that warranted looking into during the service, perhaps gearbox oil or some filter change or something. Thanks in advance for any help.

That all looks interesting, the Khumo would seem to be the quietest and the dunlop quieter than the Bridgestone, just, depends which Dunlop model they tested, the info relating to the tread pattern on D8s makes sense, so at present am leaning towards the Dunlop, would love to know what the situation is with the age of the tyres as Petes comments regarding hardening of the rubber would obviously increase road noise, therefore should I replace them all to get the quietest ride? having only done 20,000 miles the rears are probably fine, will check them tomorrow, what I amy do is put two new ones on the front, and swap one of the rears for the spare, does that make sense to everyone? Anyway thanks for the feedback so far, will probably make a decision on Thursday so just time for a last minute flurry of advice :winky:

I just knew someone would throw another alternative into the hat, unless someone can give a good reason not to I am looking to make my decision over one of the two I have narrowed it down to, unfortunatelt as Chris said, roads are bad in uk and round here is no exception, basic throw on the chippings and let you bed them in stuff. Both tyres are costing around the same 117 each fitted and balanced inc vat which is on the pricey side but I need to minimise the road noise, the dunlop would be cheaper in that I have a brand new spare in the boot so would require 1 less, but again it is almost ten years old, so an opinion on whether 10 years deterioration could have any bearing on road noise would be very welcome. Thanks for the feedback so far. if we could add a few more opinions I would be grateful, I believe Manesh said the Turanza was good a few years back after first buying them, any feedback since? Anyway guys, thanks for the help so far.

Hi All, I currently have D8Z's fited to my 98 ls400 they are the original tyres supplied with the car when new, the car has done a genuine 20,000 miles but the last MOT said the fronts need changing soon due to the outer edge wearing due to power steering. I have been dreading this moment with D8Z's being hard to find and being paranoid about roadnoise, everyone says the D8Z's are the quietest although mine are noisy in my opinion on most of the lousy road surfaces round here, certainly roadnoise is of a higher frequency than I experienced in my Jaguar XJ8 with pirellis fitted but am not sure if this may be partly due to the age of the tyres, would they deteriorate after almost 10 years in such a way as to increase road noise? My local tyre suppliers have just telephoned to say they can get me Japanese DX8's but I also hear good things about the Bridgestone Turanza so I am now in a bit of a quandry. So at long last my question is has anyone experienced both these tyres and does anyone have any particular advice, the car is not driven hard and only completes around 10k per year now so the most important issue is to eleiminate as much road noise as possible. Any help and suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time.

Hi All, I currently have D8Z's fited to my 98 ls400 they are the original tyres supplied with the car when new, the car has done a genuine 20,000 miles but the last MOT said the fronts need changing soon due to the outer edge wearing due to power steering. I have been dreading this moment with D8Z's being hard to find and being paranoid about roadnoise, everyone says the D8Z's are the quietest although mine are noisy in my opinion on most of the lousy road surfaces round here, certainly roadnoise is of a higher frequency than I experienced in my Jaguar XJ8 with pirellis fitted but am not sure if this may be partly due to the age of the tyres, would they deteriorate after almost 10 years in such a way as to increase road noise? My local tyre suppliers have just telephoned to say they can get me Japanese DX8's but I also hear good things about the Bridgestone Turanza ER300so I am now in a bit of a quandry. So at long last my question is has anyone experienced both these tyres and does anyone have any particular advice, the car is not driven hard and only completes around 10k per year now so the most important issue is to eleiminate as much road noise as possible. Any help and suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time.

The tyres on my 98 ls400 are starting to show cracking in the treads, they have only done 15,000 miles but have been on the car since new in 98 making them almost 10 years old which is probably the reason for the deterioration which concerns me from a safety point of view. I have telephoned Hull Lexus who are happy to supply Bridgestone, Michelin Pirelli or Continental but say they have no current availability for the Dunlopsp sport D8Z as fitted as standard, I have spoken to Dunlop who advised the sport 01 as it was advertised as being a quiet tyre, however I have searched the forum and seen people saying it was considerably noisier than the D8Z's so I have dismissed that option as Road Noise is my definate pet hate with the car and I could not put up with anything noisier than the existing tyres on the crap road surfaces we have in this area. Dunlop also advised a Fulda Progressor which is apparently very big in Germany, but as someone pointed out on the forum, they also have lovely surfaced roads over there so whats quiet over there may not equate to the same over here. So what I am after is a LS400 owner who is equally paranoid over road noise almost to the point of obsession who has experienced a number of tyre options and come up with the best solution. I would be happy to refit D8Z if I can get hold of them locally from somewhere that can be trusted to supply the apparently required Japanese versions, although part of me suspects that in 10 years there should have been some advances made in tyre quality, the car doesnt get thrown about at all, I just want the minimum possible amount of road noise and the car to stop when required. Any help or advice on a) best tyre choice B) suitable suppliers in the Hull/York area would be gratefully appreciated, it may be that the existing tyres will be okay for a few thousand miles yet but the cracking does concern me, a mint 98 ls400 with 15k genuine mileage would not be easy to replace if written off for the sake of spending £400 on new tyres. Thanks in advance

depending upon what you are looking for I purchased a little Garmin unit for 99.00 for my wife from comet was so impressed I bought one for my daughter also, no frills, just does what it says on the box, given the price cannot complain at all.