Haylands

Alex As Steve says 225 is normal.... 235's will mess up your satnav when it looses signal.... 225/55/17 was only made for the Lexus LS430 its an odd size so people fit the closest they can get!!!! I woudn't worry too much about it though its 10mm wider than standard and only 5.5mm larger in diameter so the car sits 2.75mm higher at the back..... not much!!! Pete

Hi Just try them!! Start at the top and work down, you cannot unprogramme anything with this it either works or it doesn't Pete

Hi The Premium Pack included self-leveling air suspension, multi-function wood and leather steering wheel, individual controls for rear compartment air-conditioning, electrically operated reclining rear seats with memory functions and electric vibro-massaging rear seats. The touch screen sat nav was standard in the UK as was the 11 speaker Mark Levinson hi-fi. In my opinion the premium pack is worth it for the air suspension alone, although having said that you will find it hard to find one without the premium pack, I only found one when I was looking. Good Luck.... I know people say don't buy the first one you see but take it with a pinch of salt, personally if you do all the homework, hunt for the right car, phone the seller, ask all the right questions, test drive the car subjectively and ALL is ok, then leave a deposit subject to a satisfactory RAC inspection and you should be fine, there are not that many cars around to be fussy with. When I bought mine I wanted a dark colour with a light interior, I think they look best and there were three for sale in the whole country, one was at Lexus and far too expensive, even with the Lexus warrantee, and two were at independents, both were the same condition... nearly new. One was more flexible on price, I even decided to do without a warrantee as they are expensive and a Lexus shouldn't go wrong anyway!!!!!! Well I'm seven months in now and the few minor problems I have had would not have been covered by a warrantee anyway..... Anyway don't let it get to you, these cars are generally very very good and with the information you have from everyone above I don't think you will have any probs The lack of headroom steve-bedford mentions will not apply as the 430 is taller than the 400, I'm 6"5' and there is plenty of room for me, my head does touch in my brothers 400 though... Good luck and try to enjoy the experience Pete P.S. If you are up this way and want to drive one then let me know you are more than welcome to drive mine.... that applies to anyone else if you are "up north"

trooper00. You have just described the LS430.... And to confirm bazgtr, you can get five huge people in one with no loss of comfort, performance or anything else..... and with duel front, and rear climate, bum warmers for all, coolers for the front and the "refreshing" (Lexus speak) massaging rear seat, all seats electrically adjusted, rear blinds all round, Mark Levinson 11 speaker hi-fi this is one of the nicest places to be...... Pete

Alex, Sat nav disc question answered above. The new disc is a massive 8.5 GB on a duel layer DVD about twice the size of the one you will have if it’s original, Unfortunately you haven't got Bluetooth on a 2001 Lexus it came in in 2004 (roughly, I think!) Have fitted a parrot Bluetooth kit to mine it integrates with the Mark Levinson system, although having fitted it myself I would advise anyone of a nervous disposition to get someone else to fit it, the wiring is horrendous and has to go from the amp in the boot to the dash.... only route available I could find was under the car, up to the engine bay, back through the bulkhead and behind the dash.... took a while but works well Pete

Thank G*d for that, I was hoping you would take it the right way..... Looks like your up to £2 already!!!!! Pete

It occurred to me that steve-bedford has had nothing but bad luck with his car, he's only had it a few months and the list of problems is massive GPS - given up HID Bulb - failed Steering - too light ETC - over sensitive Boot - leaking MPG - poor Auto tilt wheel - broken Mirror - mind of its own Dash light - not! Wipers - won't There is probably more I have missed. Well it occurred to me that there should now be enough members for each of us to put £1 in the pot and get his car fixed or even buy him a new one, I know there wouldn’t be much to read on here if he gets it sorted but I do think enough is enough. He bought one of the best cars in the world and has been let down, we as a community of loving, caring car custodians should not and will not put up with this. He was taken to the height of emotion as the keys were dropped in his hand and he slid behind the wheel for the first time, the car then started its systematic destruction of his love and faith for it. First by failing to welcome him with the bowing steering wheel, it is now on the slippery slope of intoxication as it has started drinking to excess, it is also incontinent and wets its boot at will. So come on you lot, will we let this "Christine" of a car get its own way or will we rally round and help this poor soul. Pete

A Merc cabin is without doubt a very nice place to be, before I bought my LS I was looking for a Merc S500 around 2001-2. I started doing research and after a while had a list as long as my arm of things to check i.e. Faulty aircon (£3000+ bill this WILL affect every car of this age) Faulty wiring Faulty dashboard inc gauges Faulty door closers Faulty central locking Faulty suspension Faulty e.c.u. Faulty gear selector etc etc etc The list was getting longer after every forum and site I found. I even found a guy who had a 2001 S500 with only 70000 miles on the clock and it had cost him £21000 in repairs in three years, excluding servicing, thats £7000 a year just to keep on the road, now I know he is at the extreme but the evidence is out there, just spend an evening looking at the Merc forums they have sub forums for every part of the car and how to fix it.... I then thought about a BMW 740/750 another nice car but yet again plagued with faults and recalls Audi A8 4.2... nice as well but depreciation faster than a fast thing losing money and they suffer from poor quality trim apparently... All the time the answer was staring at me from my brothers drive, he has a 1991 LS400 and everything on it works, yes he's changed the wishbones and a few ball joints and it needed a new temperature display but what a car 17 years old and if you close your eyes whilst driving down the road you are hard pushed to tell the difference with mine.... and it was twelve times cheaper.... Still I wanted all the buttons and gizmos so it had to be the LS430 for me So is the cabin of a LS430 better than an S class....... well no it isn't, its different, to me the LS feels more solid, press the dash anywhere on mine and there is no noise, do the same on an S class and it moves and usually squeaks, I think they ruined the S class when the accountants started designing them!! The Lexus is not perfect, but you have to go a long way to find fault with it. When I go out to it in the morning I know everything will work, in an S class it’s a lottery, what button won't work today??? Oh and one last thing forgot to say before, I reset the trip computer when I bought it, I drive mainly around town and have averaged 28 miles per hour over the last 5000 miles at 22MPG... not bad at all for nearly 300bhp, and I don't drive like an old woman either.... Pete

Fergus A common fault with lpg systems is that they let the petrol injectors fire as well and this off course gives twice the fuel, hence smoke and a very soon to be wrecked engine... the additional petrol washes the bores of oil and rings go..... If it does it on petrol as well could be that the lpg is not switching off.... I think the starter on these is in the V of the engine and needs a lot of strip down and they will have disturbed the wiring. Please let us know what the outcome is, I expect it will be something small and silly...... they usually are Pete

Autobahn Welcome to the club, I bought a 2001 LS430 about 6 months ago with premium pack, 58,000 miles full Lexus history, no faults, and excellent condition for £12500 from a specialist dealer Car has now done 64000 miles and is still going well.... I have changed the following Tyres Dunlop sp sport 270's £120 each Boot struts £74 from specialist (found out these wear out through lack of use!!!) Sat nav dvd £120 I have a spare key on order as we recently moved and I lost the spares.... (Think I threw them away..... sob sob) this will cost £185 + vat. If I lose the only one I've got it would be nearer £2000 from Lexus....... Sat nav is one of the best in car systems around, the Paul Levinson 11 speaker sound system is awesome, I thought the one in the Merc was good until I heard this, the VSC (vehicle stability control) is excellent, the LS430 doesn't suffer from the excessive wheel spin that the earlier LS400 did, the power is put down well and if you really want the 6 second 0-60 it will do it, and keep on pulling until you or your license give up.... the five speed auto is seamless, and along with the ETC (electronic throttle control) is a learning system and adapts itself to your style. The only noise at any speed is from our poorly made roads and passengers love the comfort. I'm 6"5 and my 6"2 daughter can sit behind me easily. The cruise is good and very smooth, the front and rear climate control works well as does the cooled and heated front seats..... I really do find it hard to criticize and I am getting fussy in my old age!! The only fault that has developed has been the reluctance for the automatic door unlock to work when you touch the outside handle, it has got intermittent and Lexus say there was a bulletin on it and it needs an updated door handle and new loom.... apparently very expensive. Mine does work better when dry so will be a summer job to see if I can fix it and seal it up.... never really use the feature much anyway as when leaving the house I'm the last to lock up and usually someone is waiting to get in the car so you end up unlocking it with the remote. I had a Merc S500 before, that regularly had faults and I don't think there was a time when everything worked... In my opinion the LS430 beats it hands down in just about every way, it is quieter and smoother, handles better, is faster, is much much more reliable, there is more space inside and I even think the boot is bigger, I can certainly get more cases in it but that maybe due to the shape and not the size.... Bad points... not quite as pretty, but hey I can't see the outside from the driver’s seat, and also no retracting boot handle to keep your fingers clean when the back is plastered in muck... I think Lexus really slipped up here..... No soul !!!!!!! You hear this said a lot about Japanese cars... well I'm convinced that’s just a ploy put around by people who have to compete with others and have to justify buying the right badge.... I've had Mercs, Jags, BMW's, Range Rovers etc and they have all got their own foibles.... but soul? No a car doesn't have soul it’s the state of mind of the person driving it..... I love it, it is about as good as they get, I have not regretted buying it and plan to keep it for ages.....and no I'm not selling you mine!! Oh and Steve-Bedford I really do feel for you, I had a "Friday" car a few years back, you end up losing confidence in the car, if you want my 2p worth sell it and buy another..... If you want any more questions answering then please let us know Pete

Steve If it's the same as a 430 about 10ltrs, 2 gallons. Forgot about mine the other day, was here, there and everywhere and when I finally remembered and filled up the needle was below empty and it took 81.3 ltrs to fill it, so since its a 80ltr tank it must have been on fumes..... My "distance to empty" milage goes out at about 38 miles and changes to "low fuel" its the ONLY thing from my old s class I would have liked to bring to the Lexus, it let you know with a beep and counted down to nearly 0.... Still haven't run out yet so it can't be that bad Pete

Try this, taken from my original post... LEXUS KEY PROGRAMMING First two methods are for programming the transponder chip in new keys and the immobilizer allowing the new keys to start the car. Process works with all keys - remotes, valet, non-remotes Method 1: Requires one working LEXUS Master Key. 1. Enter the car with the existing master key and close all doors. Simultaneously depress and release both the brake and the accelerator pedals. 2. Within 5 seconds, insert the existing master key into the ignition. DO NOT TURN THE KEY. 3. Within 15 seconds of inserting the ignition key, depress and release the accelerator pedal 5 times. 4. Within 20 seconds, depress and release the brake pedal 6 times and then remove the existing master key key from the ignition. 5 Within 10 seconds, insert the new key into the ignition. 6. Depress and release the accelerator pedal one time. The security light should now begin flashing to indicate that the computer is reading the new key and programming the system. 7. Leave the new key in the ignition for 80 seconds. When the security light stops flashing the new key is registered, Remove new key and depress and release brake pedal 1 time. The programming process should be complete. 8. Test the new key. Place the key into the ignition and verify that the car will start. 9. If this is a new remote master key, test the remote functions on the new key. Method 2: Requires one working LEXUS Master Key. 1. Make sure all doors and windows are closed. 2. Insert Master key into the ignition cylinder. 3. Cycle the ignition cylinder from On to OFF five times. 4. Open and close the driver side door 6 times. 5. Remove the Master Key and insert the new duplicates key. 6. TURN THE IGNITION CYLINDER ON. 7. The new key will be registered after 60 seconds. The THEFT light on the dashboard will go out, indicating that programming has been completed. LEXUS REMOTE PROGRAMMING Method 1: 1. Sit in the driver's seat and lock all the doors. 2. Unlock and open the driver's door. 3. Insert the key into the ignition and remove it (don't turn it...just remove it). 4. Using the MANUAL lock switch on the driver's door, lock and unlock the door 5 times. 5. Close the door. 6. Open the door. 7. Lock and unlock the driver's door 5 times (I'm almost certain you use the MANUAL lock switch again, but if this sequence fails to work, try again with the power switch). Insert the key into the ignition and turn it to the "ON" position. Remove the key. 8. The driver's door will now lock and unlock itself one time. 9. Press and hold the "LOCK" button on the key fob for at least 1 second. 10. Close the driver's door. 11. Open the driver's door. 12. Press and hold the "LOCK" button on the key fob for at least one second. 13. Close the driver's door. 14. Press and hold the "LOCK" button on the key fob. The door will lock. 15. Press and hold the "LOCK" button on the key fob again. The door will unlock. Method 2: 1. Driver door open and unlocked. Key out of the ignition 2. Insert the key and remove 2 times in 5 sec. 3. Close and open driver door 2 times in 40 sec. 4. Insert the key and remove it again from ignition. 5. Close and open driver door 2 times in 40 sec. 6. Insert the key in ignition, 7. Close the door, 8. Turn to on and back to lock in 1 second intervals. 1 time for add, 2 times for rewrite, 3 for confirmation 5 for prohibition. (yes, there is no “4”) 9. Remove the key 10. Power lock will cycle to confirm 11. For add or rewrite mode within 40 sec of the confirmation, A. press “lock” and “unlock” buttons of the FOB at the same time between 1 and 1.5 seconds. B. within 3 sec press “Lock” button for more than 1 sec and release. C. If it’s correct, the power door lock will cycle once. If it’s wrong the door lock will cycle twice. You should be all set. Please let us know if it works Thanks Pete

Mat I think Jellybean is being sarcastic, you put 155 and 145, we think you mean 255 and 245, I had a fiat panda years ago and it had 145's, they are very skinny.... If you go to a body shop, any panel beater worth his salt will be able to roll the arches out of the way without cracking the paint or damaging the arch. The tool he is talking about will cost more and you do have to have experiance to achive a good result. Good luck, and by the way the car looks great you should be proud. Pete

Is this compatible with Windows Vista? Thanks in advance. Kenkin. Says on the listing that it is compatible with all windows systems so yes.... Pete

Steve Don't know the pressure, ring Lexus, they should know.... Have a look at this its a tyre size calculator, you should be able to find a tyre with a similar size that is more widely used http://www.tyresave.co.uk/tyresize.html Good Luck Pete

If you do a google image search on Michelin Pilot sport you get a great variation in tyre types from the all out racing tyre to one that looks very similar to the Dunlop sport 270. Bridgestone tyres, in my opinion, are always noisy because they use a hard compound, these will have got even harder with age, Michelin tyres, being French, will be soft and supple, just like French cars so the difference between them will be enormous, the LS430 is much quieter than a GS300 and I think you will be disappointed when you finally change your tyres, the ONLY noise in the LS430 is the tyres and like I say on our poor roads (the government deliberately use a poor noisy surface so you think you are going faster than you are) the noise is sometimes quiet intrusive.... Had a blat through France to Northern Spain not long ago and on the excellent smooth French roads there was no noise at all, even at the cars maximum!!! (also found out it’s not restricted to 155mph either, but that’s another story) So jsj24uk good luck and be careful which Michelin Pilots you get Hunt Trophy, I'm sure you will like the Dunlops Pete

Well I'll add my 2p worth.... As I said before on previous tyre posts, I got rid of two nearly new tyres that had been fitted to mine before I bought it, they were Maxxis and were so noisy it sounded like a tank on tracks. The Dunlop 270's (Oh and buy the way they all come from Japan as unlike the earlier D8's they didn't make them in any other factory) are whisper quiet. Jsj24uk - what model of Dunlop’s do you have? are they the sport 270's that were original fitment or some other Dunlop.... What I will say is that because the car is sooooooo quiet in the first place, the only noise you can hear is tyre noise, and on our deliberately noisy roads this is even worse, If I sit on most roads round here at most speeds the only noise is from the tyres, but believe me the noise from the cheaper tyres was 20 times worse, so maybe perspective comes into the equation The Dunlop’s are much softer than the other tyres so the ride is even better and the few times I've pushed it they do seem to have good grip..... When I was looking for quiet tyres it turns out that the tread pattern has a lot to do with the amount of noise given off by the tyre, the 'sporty' treads that run around the tyre like a racing tyre are the noisy ones, the quiet ones have smaller tread blocks, with smaller slots between them, if you do a Google images on the sport 270 and then the new sport 2020 it would appear that the new tyre has larger blocks with bigger slots between them so you would think they will be a little louder... Anyway this discussion will never end its very subjective, if it’s all we have to worry about we should be grateful, have a look at the Merc s class forums and you will see what I mean.... :winky: Good luck with the choice Pete

Hi Just bought one of these off ebay item number 170182826174 (if new to ebay just copy and paste this number in an ebay search box) This is an excellent one, have bought these cd based ones before and just recieved a pdf with photocopied pages, took ages to look through etc etc But this one is excellent, it auto starts a pdf with a full index, the information is excellent with lots of exploded diagrams... Very cheap only cost £3.98 DELIVERED If anyone wants me to look up and see if there is something specific on there, let me know Happy new year to all Pete

My LS430 has developed a squeeky rear door, whenever you double lock it or unlock it the rear drivers door makes a high pitched squeek, sounds like its well within the door and is the actuator or something that needs a squirt of WD40.... Anyone know how to get the door card off or seen some info on the web somewhere, I've had a good hunt but can't find any info.... Thanks Pete

Hi I was going to say, try here http://www.lexus-mapupdates.eu/ but having a quick look it seems they only do DVD maps for the later cars, I think all LS400's were CD and it switched to DVD for the LS430, but I might be wrong.... You could try an a-mail to them for the earlier disc Good Luck Pete

Hi Don't think its adjustable, did see a unit available on the net for an adjustable set up for fly by wire throttles, was on an american site (best stuff always is) might be worth having a google for it..... Pete

Hi Persoanlly I don't think you can beat Bosch for good wipers, have always used them, they clear well, don't squeek or chatter and last well, you can get them in Halfords or off e-bay, did try some flat blade ones on my car, as I like the look but they squeek like hell so will be getting some more Bosch ones soon... Wipers are probably like tyres..... everyone will have a different opinion..... Pete

Just goes to show how difficult this is and that there is a massive difference between tyres... jsj24uk, what model of Dunlops were on your LS... does this make any difference... the one thing I found when looking for quiet tyres was that the ones with the "sporty" looking tread that runs around the tyre or swoops across it are the noisey ones, but Alan wants to improve his grip at the rear so is noise an issue.... Had a chipped Saab turbo back in the 80's and that had 200+bhp through the front wheels, I ended up with Yokohama A008's they were sticky and soft and it reduced the wheelspin greatly and it cornered on rails but they lasted less than 10000 miles.... so you get what you pay for!!! Very emotive subject!!! Pete

Hi, Welcome aboard.... Haven't really got a clue about the lumpyness, but with that very low miles could probably do with a good drive Mine was owned by an old chap before me and was tight and sluggish, a shot of injector cleaner in the tank and a good blast up the motorway (never going above 70mph...honest officer ) made it smoother faster and more responsive... they give you nearly 300bhp I think we owe it to them to use it!!! Anyway jusy my 2p worth Good luck Pete

Hi Well done, its a great feeling that nothing needs doing for another year, a couple of weeks ago I helped my brother change the front wishbones on his 1991 LS400, All the bolts under the front arches undid without any bother, in fact after cracking them loose you could spin them off by hand, amazing for a 16year old car, these cars were built well.... If anyone is thinking of doing theirs then go ahead, it took about 40mins a side for upper wishbones and lower ball joints, the ride and handling have been transformed and no more knocks on bends.... Got the wishbones and balljoints from that place in the US that has been mentioned on here before, first class service, ordered them Wednesday and they turned up Friday morning via courier!!!! Have a good Christmas Steve Pete