Haylands

Hi

You cannot check the wiring just by looking at the outside of the loom.... here is an old post from steve2006

"Go straight for the wiring loom that passes over the nearside (RHD) boot lid hinge, it is wrapped in a black plastic sleeve, carefully open it up and look and feel for damaged wires, repair as required and retape.

Apparently when the cars were built they were not too generous on the wire lengths and the opening of the boot over time causes breaks to the wire inside the insulation (having said that it seems to take 14 years to cause a problem!)."

Even wires that look OK on the outside plastic could be broken inside, you have to feel and check every mm to see if this has happened or use a continuity meter and probe them.

Do a search for "boot hinge" and you will find details, look on the USA site as well. There is loads of info about it, it gives the symptoms yours has... funny dash lights as well as sometimes loss of power... the wiring here is not just for the rear of the car...

Pete

Hi

Alternator brushes are unlikely, if you want to test them then measure the voltage at a much higher revs than 1,800... somewhere around 6,000... it will sound very harsh but will not harm the engine to rev it like this with no load for a short period of time... The reason I say I don't think it's this is because the Battery should have enough in it to run the engine at high revs if the alternator is failing then.

I agree with the others, first thing to check is the boot loom, if that is OK I would check the engine earth, if the earth is poor then it will suffer at high demand, i.e. high revs. This is easy to check, get a pair of good quality thick jump leads and fix both to the negative Battery terminal and then to different parts of the engine, try the car and see if the problem is still there.

Don't just spend money having things rebuilt because someone else thinks it might be it, if the above prove fruitless then get the car checked by a qualified electrician who will find the problem, it may cost a few bucks but it will be cheaper than just rebuilding everything....

Good Luck and let us know how you get on

Pete

Hi

This is a known issue, they get water ingress into the door handle, it only tends to happen in the winter and in cold weather, it will be alright again when the weather clears up.... If you want a permanent fix it is a new handle and a new door loom.... about £500 plus fitting.... or just press the button....

Pete

At current prices a GS costs £25,000 less than an LS...

Steady on. From Lexus website:

GS460 = £49,585

LS460 = £56,535

Hi

From another part of the same site

GS prices start from On The Road (OTR) Price* £32,555.00

LS prices start from On The Road (OTR) Price* £56,535.00

Thats £23.980 difference.... close enough to £25,000

Pete

Hi

At current prices a GS costs £25,000 less than an LS, the LS is just so much more... you have to sit in and drive the two to see the difference, the GS is a great car but the LS takes it a stage further, go and test drive one.....

In 2003 they face lifted the LS, it got different front and rear lights and wheels, the Premium pack (air suspension, rear air con, cooled seats etc) became standard, the sat nav was updated and it has Bluetooth and voice activation, it got a 6 speed gearbox instead of 5, and a few other things....

If you can afford it get the later one as it has more bits, get one with full Lexus history and check this with Lexus, take the car to them and get them to check it, it's not much and they will tell you it's history. Cam belts are changed at 100,000 miles or 10 years. It has a major service every 20,000 miles i.e. 20, 40, 60 etc, and a small service every 10,000 miles i.e. 10, 30, 50 etc. A full set of tyres can cost a lot so check them as well,

Good Luck

Pete

I was unaware there were two.

Maybe if you look real hard you'll find a fridge as well!!!!!

Pete

Hi

This could be because they have disconnected the Battery, this will have reset the engine and gearbox ecu's, they will relearn over a few hundred miles and the car should be as it was before....

Pete

electronic gaggets thingy things do go wrong and dont always work

Ahhhh the talking of a man who hasn't had a Lexus for very long..... the above phrase doesn't sit well with a Lexus....

And I was refering to "Lexus4302001" as these features are on the 430, I don't know about the 400.....

Pete

I thought you were supposed to check your oil level every week? Or is that not necessary for a Lexus??? :)

Hi

You check your oil every time you start up, there is no need to get your hands dirty, you have an electronic dip stick and you will be warned via the dash if you need oil, or water, or screen wash, or brake fluid etc etc.

Pete

not that you ave too lift a lexus bonnet that often i must add

Apparently that is why they fail, the small amount of oil put inside the strut doesn't get moved around enough to keep the seals supple and then the gas leaks out.... so open your bonnet more it will help keep them tip top....

That is an excellent price you got them for..... well done

Pete

Hi Guys

My LS430 2001 probably is using the original Sat Nav disk. What is the latest version ie part number and year? Does it have a postcode search facility as well searching via towns / streets (as my current disk does not allow you to search via postcode)?

Thanks in advance

Hi

The postcode search option is not available as a disc update, it's hard wired into the later sat nav's from 2004 so no unfortunately you can't have it on yours, mind you I found that it was very good at finding places anyway...

The update disc I got in 2007 was on a duel layer dvd and over twice as big as the old one so there is a fair amount of extra stuff

Look here for a disc

http://www.lexus-mapupdates.eu/

Pete

Thanks for swift replies lads....been looking at Odyssey batteries on their UK site...expensive but only the best for me old girl eh ?...

I have one on my bike and seems real good quality...anyone tried one ?....made from Virgin lead ! :shutit:

http://www.odysseybatteriesonline.co.uk/index.php?f=a

Hi

I know what you mean but do you really need to spend £150+ on a Battery that far exceeds the needs of the car, they say it has an 8 year service life and they give it a 2 year waranty.....

Maybe the web site is just all hype....

I had a Bosch Silver Battery on my old Off road Range Rover for 10 years, it ran a winch and was abused all the time, it was still going strong when I sold it, it cost £50 and had a 4 year waranty

My brother got an Ultima Battery for his Landrover, he's had it a few years and just noticed last month that the Battery has split and is leaking.... Ultuma's are supposed to be excellent top quality expensive batteries as well....

Anyway any excuse for a photo.....

Playing in Wales....

Pete

Hi

If the green light is out it's kaput....

Always fitted Bosch Silver when I've needed to replace one, I have never had one fail and they come with a 4 year waranty.

Do you do lots of short jouneys, they recon it takes over 20 miles to replace what you took from the Battery when you started the car, obviously far more in sub zero temp...

But can you fit a German Battery to a Jap car!!!!!!!

Pete

Hi guys, just to double check i have been offered some oem is250 rims with 2 wheels 245/45/R17 and the other 2 at 225/45/R17. Will these fit straight onto my Mark IV Ls?

Hi

The wheels will clear the calipers but the tyres may rub, especially the 245 ones... there is really only one way to find out.... try them.

There are differences between different makes of tyre, not all 245/45/17 are exactly the same size....

I changed make of tyres on the 430 and although they were the same size the new ones rubbed the wheelarch on full lock.....

Good Luck

Pete

Hi Guys

I need some help please. I recently bought a 2001 LS430. It has full Lexus service history. Every 10k, it has been serviced by Lexus until and including the 150k service. It has now done 160k so is due a service. However, the service history is from print outs rather than a service book so I do not know what needs doing for the 160k service (and each 10k service beyond the 160k ie 170k, 180k etc). Ive gone through the print out and worked out that:

Every 10k – oil and filter (obvious) correct

Every 60k – spark plugs (Is it every 60k or 5 years – which ever comes sooner?) 60k or 6 years

Every 100k – cambelt (Is it every 100k or 5 years – which ever comes sooner?) 100k or 10 years

At 20k, it had a GEAR OIL change? Does this need to be done regular and if yes, when? This is probably rear axle, change every 20k

It has a “ELEMENT, AIR REF” done regularly – approx every 20k. What is this and how often should it be done? Is that the pollen filter? Yes but you change it when the dash gives a warning

Nearly every service, it has a FUEL CLEANER added – do members recommend this? depends if you use cheap petrol or the super + stuff

AIR FILTER been done every 20k – is this correct? Yes

Had an “ATM FLUID” changed at 40k – again what is this and how often should it be done? Automatic Transmission fluid used in transmission and power steering lots of different thoughts on this if vehicle used normally then it should last forever... personally I'd do it every 40k - 60k

BRAKE FLUID done at 40k and 100k. How often should it be done? Every 24 months no matter what

COOLANT done at 40k, 80k and 100k. How often should it be done? every 20k

CASTROL SYNTRAX DIFF OIL done at 60k, 80, 100k and 120k. What is this and how often should it be done? Is this something to do with the differential? every 20k very important

POWER STEERING FLUID was changed at 80k. How often should it be done? see atm above

AIR CON SERVICE done at 100k. How often should it be done? about right

The thing is I do not want to take it to Lexus – I have a good independent and want to make sure they are doing what Lexus would do – it’s a safety check for me.

I would greatly appreciate any help and advice and hope you don’t mind trawling through your service books!!

Many thanks

Hi

Hope that answers it for you, buy one of the cheap CD data discs off eBay they give the info you will need to keep on top of serviceing... they do take a bit of searching through though....

Most garages will have Autodata software which says when and what is needed on a service...

I always use distilled water when changing the coolant as well, prevents build up of scale...

Don't use generic ATM fluid you MUST use the proper stuff from Lexus, start saving it's very expensive

My advice is to buy the genuine parts and get a garage to change them then you know the car will be reliable...

Good Luck

Pete

Hi

I think they use a belt instead of a chain because from the first revolution a chain is stretching, they can use a tensioner but imagine the stretch on a chain needed for a V8, they are very long, see below. They can then time the engine to a finer degree with a belt which doesn't stretch so much.... Anyway chains do snap and the resulting damage is usually terminal for the engine as the chain destroys most of the front, saw a picture a while ago with the chain stuck right through the bonnet!!!!

Lexus LS400 Belt

Nissan Micra chain

Pete

Hi

There is a lot of misinformation about this, Autodata shows all 400's and 430's as interference engines, i.e. damaged if the cam belt snaps. I have read quite a lot on Forums and would have to say that the most popular opinion is as stated, Mk1 and 2 are fine from then on it's not.... Like I said I've never heard or read of one snapping on its own apart from cheap replacements and lack of new tensioner etc.

If you think about it Lexus have to err on the side of caution, if you did 63,000 miles of town driving with every start being flat out the belt will have to take this punishment, constant full throttle must put and enormous amount of torque loading through the belt...they have to take into account this abuse when giving replacement intervals, 63,000 miles on a motorway would give next to no strain on the belt at all....

So let’s hope we never find out if the engines get damaged if the belt snaps.....

I'm OK now my new Toyota's got a chain, hope I don't snap that.....

Pete

Hi

Super job and a great price. It is sometimes frustrating to change what appear to be perfectly good parts but the piece of mind is worth it, thats the last big job, for a long while, out the way, now you can get on and enjoy the car.

I suppose you could look at it as an indication that the car has been driven well by the previous owner.

Maybe you could sell the cam belt and water pump on eBay!!!!! One careful owner... slightly used... etc etc

Pete

Hi

This is very common and is fixable, can't exactly remember how though, someone will be along soon to sort you out

Pete

Mine ha a massaging brake pedal, must be something wrong with it though as it only seems to work in icy conditions

I bet it's not heated like mine!

I had to sell mine

How do you change Navigation disk on RX 400?

Hi

Welcome to the club, you are asking in the wrong section though....

Try here

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/ind...hp?showforum=47

They will be able to help

Nice car the RX400, they lent me one a while ago.... much better than I thought it would be...

Pete

Drivers side panel? I had a quick look a few days ago under the throttle pedal (where I normally find the fusebox), but didnt see anything looking like a fuse panel/box - where is it exactly? (would save me scrambling around with knees on the floor looking for it)

Hi

Sit in the car and look at your right foot, move your right foot as far right as it will go from the accelerator and you will hit a plastic panel that is infront of the door, this is where you will find the fuse box, there should be a little door to open, it's a pain to see, a torch and mirror help...

Oh and if you borrow the wifes mirror from her handbag for god sake remember to return it

Pete

Hi

The early 400 up to 1993 was 60,000 then it was 63,000 until the 430 when it went to 100,000.

I think you will find this has little to do with the actual belt and more to do with Lexus realising that they could stretch the change time, they, like all manufacturers were trying to make ownership seem less expensive and advertise the "Major Service every 100,000 miles" selling point.

I've never heard of one snapping and there was a thread a while back when this was discussed, nobody else had heard of one so it seems that 63,000 was a very conservative figure....

Mind you changing the belt is probably about 10% of the cost of an engine rebuild so why chance it....

I suppose if the car has been driven in a relaxed way then it would last forever, constant grand prix starts is what will snap it.....

Lucky I got rid of mine when I did!!!

Pete

The only point I was trying to make was, if he is this nervious BEFORE buying a complex and expensive car, will he enjoy the ownership or just worry for evermore that something will go wrong.....

Personally I bought a Lexus becasue I was fed up with owning cars that made me feel just like that...

If he get's in the right frame of mind before buying then he will feel better.... I hoped my "Avensis" mention may set him straight....

So go ahead and buy one, they don't go wrong often........

And yes I do miss mine, wish I had had another 10 to sell though, I'm still getting calls and the advert was removed last week......

Pete

and there are a few little niggles: heated seats don't work and there is obviously an ill-fitting seal somewhere because the boot gets damp after washing or rain; this, in turn, causes a lot of condensation on the rear window.

Hi

Heated seats are a well known issue, usually best to replace the pads with generic ones.

Wet boot is another well known problem. could be sunroof drain pipe, this passes down behind the o/s side boot liner, people blow them through with an airline when blocked and this can blow the pipes off, if not it's usually the boot seal, search for threads on here people have had success with different methods...

Good Luck, oh and about the Jag..... wouldn't touch one with a barge pole, In my opinion total and utter waste of time and space, three mates love them and all they do is spend spend spend just to keep them going, if it's not breaking its falling off and if it doesn’t fall off it rusts.... I've never seen one with all things working and personally for me they are just too small inside.... anyway horses for courses....

Pete