steveskeggy

The car has done 123k. Has the belt not been changed before? Heres how to change the oil: http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/lubrication/oilchange.html Doing it yourself will save 40 to 50 quid, even using top of the range oil, not the stuff that most dealers use. The Toyota trans fluid costs a fortune, Work it out at about a tenner a litre. Which if they DID do a proper change and flush means they charged nowt for labour. Which, for a garage that charges 100 quid for an oil change, is cobblers.

Agreed, my last visit to the petrol station cost me 90 quid. If they can fill the tank for 70 then I for one would like to know which petrol supplier they use!

You are accelerating and braking smoother, and going slower than normal. So your mpg will increase as a result.

No car wash, but the first time I had driven through a serious rainstorm and today it was just the slush round Romford... Hi seems its probably electrical water getting into a sensor, your plastic splash guards are still fitted under the car, if you can get it up on a ramp check the connections & give them a spray with some wd40. Thanks for the suggestion - plenty of WD40 but no ramp - will see what I can find. Be quick, because if it turns out to be the box there is one on EBay now for £170 inc postage: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LEXUS-LS400-MK4-UCF2...=item23042cbc68 Lots of other spares for a Mk4 as well by the looks of it.

WOW! Ford Pubic, long time since I saw one of those. Very good car in its time, one of my favourites, alongside the Classic and the Classic Capri. Never seen one up close, but have seen a few photos of Corsair convertables including these: http://www.flickr.com/photos/insectman/2193897474/ http://www.fordcorsair.com/1966-crayford-gt http://www.flickr.com/photos/imagetaker1/3055148209/ And a Capri ragtop: http://www.flickr.com/photos/albertsbite/2952119580/ Once saw a Corsair in a custom mag with a drop top, white leather interior, in red with a 3L Essex V6, that was Nice!

Sorry misread the post. Ok if you press the audio button next to the screen with the radio off, then it should read AUDIO OFF. What happens if you press the right hand knob on the radio receiver on the dash? If nothing happens, then I would whip the unit out to see if there is a plug out of the back. If the radio comes on, then it could be a faulty unit. This may be some help to you: http://bahamutcars.free.fr/workshop/LS_01-...ents/index.html You will need adobe acrobat reader installed to see it. The audio section is under Repair Manual ( 2003.8 - )

Are you absolutely sure that the leak is coming from the gaskets? If you are, then try taking them out , give them a good coat of gun gum, then put them back in again. While it is off, just check the faces that the gaskets touch, make sure that they are pretty leveland dont come together at an angle. If that doesnt work, then I would check the rest of the system.

Forgot, once you press the Audio button, on the left hand side at the bottom of the screen it says sound. Press on that, then you can adjust the balance etc.

Hi. The balance/front rear etc is controled from the sat nav screen, not from the radio, press the Audio button next to the screen then you can see how the adjustments are made. You will probably find that someone has shoved it all through the back speakers because one or more of the fronts are blown.

After having a look around the net, I found this: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadlamps Which explains the situation about fitment of fitted and after market fitting. ANYONE THINKING ABOUT DOING A HID CONVERSION ON AN EARLY LEXUS SHOULD READ THIS FIRST!! Also looking at the after market kits, they do dip/main kits but it looks like the favourite design involves some sort of solonoid operated mechanism so that only one bulb is used for both dip and main. I looked at a Honda Civic forum as well, which correctly said that the HID bulb is a bit slow to illuminate. So if a manufacturer made a headlamp fitting where the dip beam turned off when the main beam was switched on, there would be a short time when the car would be travelling in darkness. The headlamp flasher would be next to useless as well. It looks like the manufacturers dont fit HID mains because its a: a legal grey area, we are talking about different laws for the US, the EU, Japan and any other country that lexus are sold in. and b: more expensive. So it looks like we have a choice of breaking the law, sticking with the existing lamps, or fitting 4 Cibie Oscars on the front like a 1970`s Ford Escort. PS. the 430`s have automatic load adjusters, and knowing Lexus, if you mess with them the car would probably end up looking like Ben Turpin

I wondered if anything legal came into it. Where we live is about a quarter of a mile from the beach, but its also about 500 yards from farm land. Going anywhere inland can involve going down country roads that are not lit at night, so I do use main beam,.

The electrics on the 430 can be a bit Aston Martin Lagonda, not the stuff that came from the older versions, but the new stuff like the sat nav and the auto wipers. The Dumflop tyres on mine are lethal in the snow and ice, the Pirellis on my old 400 were 10 times better. The seatbelt isnt easy to get hold of, but that may be just how its set. The boot doesnt lift and close electrically, and its heavy. The air con pipes run outside the car underneath, and are not weather proofed like the brake pipes, so they rot and cost a fortune to replace. Mines a 2002, so the styling is a bit froggish. Its also dark blue, which is a colour mixed by satan because he enjoys watching me trying to keep it clean. However... When you get up behind a lorry doing 40 MPH, and you spot that gap that is just big enough, the shove in your back when you floor it makes all those complaints go away. As does the never ending laugh that you get when some boy racer tries to beat an "old mans" car away from the lights, in his 1.2 nova.

Ok I know that this is going to be a stupid question, and I am going to look a complete numpty for asking it, but here goes.. The dip beam on the LS with the built in HID system is excelent, could not want better. Which is why when you switch on main beam, it is such a dissapointment because after the HID the normal bulb in the mains look like candles. So why dont you get an HID system on the mains as well??

If you are worried about it, all you need is two longish bits of wire. Just wind one to the - post of the new battery on one end, and to a good earth on the car for the other. The other goes to the + post of the new battery and to a constant live point, which can be anything that has voltage when the ignition is off. If you have 4 small crocodile clips then the job is easier, just clip one end on the battery post and the other on the corresponding battery connector. Just make sure that you dont clip or wind the wire so that it will be in the way when you swap the connectors over and make sure that the jumper connections are all good, and dont under any circumstances turn on the ignition. Once you have connected the new battery disconnect the old one and remove it, making sure not to catch the jumper wires. Pop the new battery in place and put the connectors on, if you have used croc clips then all you need to do is make sure that the post is touching before you remove the croc clip, then slide it down all the way making sure that you dont loose contact. Its an easy job which takes longer to explain than to carry out, but you get the drift. However, as I said in my other post, I dont think this will stop the battery from flattening over time, because the car is still using battery power even when the ignition is turned off. By all means change the battery, but after you do, just run the car up every 3 or 4 days until its warm just to top the battery up. I did a bit of searching when my battery kept on going flat, and it seems that its not just the LS range that has flattening problems. It seems to me that Lexus design the cars with the thinking that they will be driven every day, which is fair comment as most of them are. I may be wrong, and a new battery may cure all your problems, obviously there is only one way to find out. But if it doesnt work, then just try firing it up every couple of days, instead of trying to trace a fault that isnt there. BTW, have you tried getting in touch with Lexus to see if they will supply you with the radio code? when I had my 3rd Rover 800 I went to the Rover dealers in Lincoln with the cars details and they typed them ito their computer and came back with all the security codes, including the radio code.

When you park up your LS, there are still electronic systems that are running, even though you have turned the ignition off. The security system is the main one, with all the sensors still looking out for intruders its on the go all the time. So, after a while the battery is going to drain. The LS430 is even worse for this because it also has sensors outside, and the batteries are not really big enough for the car. Also, unless you park your car in a heated garage, overnight the oil will thicken, making the drag on the starter even worse and flattening an already drained battery even further. If you Battery was ok before, then I would imagine a charge would do the trick. You can always do a battery swap if it plays up again. Just remember, if it gets that cold again and you want to leave the car, just start it and run it up to operating temp every few days.

I had Pirelli`s on my old 400, but the 430 has Dunlops on it. The 400 was quite good in the snow, but the 430 is like a greasy weasel. It will be due for some new boots soon, so it wont be getting Dumlfops on it. May go for Pirelli`s or Michelin`s, but if its the same with those on then I have told my wife that we will be buying a eat up old Range Rover, just for the winter. Dont mind it slipping when I am trying to pull away, but do mind it when it looses traction in traffic with the lightest of pedal pressure, the back steps out and so do my bowles... When I visited Mother today, the road was so bad that the car would not stop unless I took it out of gear as the front wheels were locked and the engine at tickover was still pushing it along!

I wondered why the fanbelt I got yesterday cost £43 and yours cost 20! Hope mine is the right one, I dont fancy changing it yet with all this white stuff about.

You have more or less answered you own question. If the steering rack passed the MOT, then it will have been within the tolerances allowed by the test. If it really bothers you then take it back to the test station and explain what has happened, they will probably want to have a look at it because if it failed so soon after they did the test then it could cost them their MOT licence. BTW when they showed you the play, was the joint involved connected very close to the wheel, or even connected to part of the hub?

Is the play in the steering rack itself, or is it just the track rod end? If it turns out to be just the track rod end, then replacing the rack would be the wrong thing to do. probably the best thing would be for you to get the brake pipe replaced then shove it in for MOT, if it fails on the rack then you know it needs to be fixed, if not then forget about it, any garage worth its salt should be able to replace the brake pipe, they normally have a big reel of the stuff then just bend it where it needs to bend and they just make the ends up. If the pipe runs into the body and is awkward to replace, then it may be easier to cut it and make a new end, but if its outside then its not worth the effort and would probably be a tiny bit cheaper. As far as the leads are concerned, you will find a set on EBay from £75 up to £105 depending on wether you just want unbranded or a set of QH leads, but as ROYT says, if it aint broke then dont fix it, unless its bothering you (just type ls400 ht leads into the EBay search). Just remember, these safety checks are done by the dealers in order to find faults, so you take it to them to get them fixed. I am not saying that a dealer would tell you that things need fixing when they dont, but they can exagerate sometimes. A safety check is a safety check, but an MOT is a legaly binding one, which one do you trust?

Er, Nah Emission testing has to be done on a warm engine. Any petrol or diseasel will have some sort of cold start system which includes making the mixture richer, mainly because the fuel does not evaporate in a cold engine and so it wont burn well enough to start the cycle, the richer mixture helps to warm the Cats up as well, so it actually gets lower emissions sooner. BTW, only carburettors have chokes.

It sounds to me as though you are at the point where the car needs an independant inspection to assess the work that has been done. Not sure about the tollerances involved, but a 7mm difference between the two sides seems quite a lot. Did you have this repair done yourself, or is it an insurance claim? As to the noise, it could be anything, a prop shaft joint could have gone if it is now at the wrong angle (unlikely but posible), or even worse the suspension could be falling to pieces on that side. I am not an expert but if, as I would suspect, the floor has moved enough to shift the wheel forward by 7mm, then to repair this would most likely involve a jig, which it sounds like the repairers have not used. In which case I would think that the insurance would declare the car a right off, due to the cost of the repair against the value of the car. In the meantime I think it would be wise not to use the car until this is investigated. Whatever, I would not take it back to Bodgit and Scarper, sorry County Coach Builders, if I were you, as it sounds as if they are pulling your banana.

More likely the discs, common problem. Replaced my discs, then it came back after a couple of months, though not as bad.

Its quite possible that although you have replaced the key battery, that the key has lost its programming and needs doing again. Seeing as the key lost its ability to remotely operate the doors, then stopped starting the engine would point at the key being at fault as the key sends a signal to the ignition system which has to match before the engine will start, this of course would require less battery power than the remote function. Go here: http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/lof...php/t47560.html and scroll down about a quarter of the way to Haylands post about key programming, You will probably need to use one of the two that dont require a master key. Best way is to print them off and take them to the car, then you can try them one at a time. Cant remember which one worked on my 98, but I think it was the first. Either way, when you have sorted it out you should get another key for it in case it goes wrong again, at least you would be able to open and drive the vehicle. You would need to go to Ebay and get hold of a key with the electronics in and a blank to get it cut for your car, then just swap the electronics into the blank, get it cut, then program it for your car. The key would have to be cut at a place that does laser cutting, any old key cutters wont be able to do it. BTW there is at least one key with electronics in now on Ebay, and there are loads of shells always available, including now I see pink ones .

About time a driving school had a bit of common sense. What is better, learning to drive in a small diesel eurobox then getting into a big car when you have passed, or learning to drive in a big car then getting into a small car after passing. Everybody should learn to drive in a big car, even better if they all have a manual gearbox and no power steering.

Well I have had both the 400 And the 430 which I have now. Now, dont get me wrong, the 430 is a great car, if you bought the right one you would not be dissapointed, the gadgets are good, the ride is as you would expect from an LS, and in my opinion the 430 engine is a slightly better wngine than the 400, especially at higher speed where that little bit of extra torque makes a difference. However. The 400 in the shape of the Mk4 feels finished, its not a physical "look how much better it is" thing, it just has that feeling of something that has been improved on previous versions and made better, not saying it is, but it just has that feeling. The 430 doesnt, it has the feeling that it could be improved on, not bad, but could be slightly better. If you used Windows XP when it first came out, then used it Just before Vista came out, you will know what I mean, stil does the same, just feels finished. This is all based on my two cars, a 98 LS400 with DHP and a 2002 LS430. So me, I would just look for a later 400, unless I could afford an 04 or later 430 or a 460. As far as the GS is concerned, personally I dont like the interior, but thats just my opinion. Then of course your wife spoke those five fateful words: It's up to you though. Which translated from Womenspeak means: You CAN buy one, but you will be eating celery and sleeping with the dog until you get rid of it..