Manc

lol, i've just read all the previous posts about selling a Lexus... I too have briefly thought of it but quickly quashed all memories with images of my mates vectra I think i will get another Lexus next, but does this strange occurance still happen when you trade in the cherished LS for another newer, more modern and if anything like the stories in america not so well built models...... i know !!! .... i might just wait with my '93 'til i can afford the ISF, then eventually swap that for the LFA when its tax exempt maybe..... hmm lol, even going 'down' to the IS200 is a no-go at the minute..... I don't know what im going to do

You should disconnect the battery when leaving it to stand.... this happened to me it was stood for 6months when i got it and similar issues occured... New battery sorted it out at the time, but i did have the flickering dash syndrome a year later... nearly passed out when lexus said "it'll be £1400 fitted", got on here and managed to sort it for less than a tenth of that... apart from that, all the electricals still work fine (except my window, but thats the plastic switch & not the motor!) Dont even bother topping the water up, just get a new battery

A '96 with 56K only??? are you sure.. is it the digital dash with the flashing syndrome? it could have been replaced.... mine was fixed and kept the mileage, but a replacement would be zero miles... I believe the flashing dash was fixed after a certain model - you'd have to check. I've got a '93, its done 220K (without a proper service in 3 years!!) and is running very well. My dad had it before me and he bought it off the owner from new.... its NEVER broken down in its life..... 18years that is!!! Thats amazing... and says its one of the finest engines ever built - they use them for racing apparently but the LS still has some faults.... The typical issues are:- suspension (control arms front upper & lower), and eventually the rear ones - only the front lowers are less than £100 each (just) exhaust EGR pipe (emissions) Exhaust gaskets (£30 fitted) Flickering dash (around £120 p+p) Bonnet struts P/s leaks (can cause alternator then battery issues if not fixed) - less than £5 if d.i.y. rusty loose heat shields under the car (these rattle and is embarrasing at traffic lights) Sticking brake calipers brake pipes cracking (£30 d.i.y) Erratic, jumpy engine when pulling away (usually blocked throttle body - 2hrs & £5 d.i.y.) Faulty window switches Faulty door locking Tatty wheels All i can think of for now Most of the above are normal wear & tear issues that every car suffers.... I spent £1000 on the car and in the 6 yrs i've owned it i have prob spent another £2000 on all the above inc. fitting & tyres etc..... not bad for owning a luxury motor..... i've not got around to the window/door switches yet, but are on this years list along with a new aerial.... but these are cosmetics and not mechanical Fuel is becoming an issue, but it averages upto 30mpg, and with working a 4 day shift and another regular 100mile round trip - it only costs me £40 week fuel - minimum that is!!! - the tank is a large 75L and takes upto £100 with todays prices. If you do a lot of local driving it will cost you, but motorways & country lanes...well.. it just loves them.... 300miles on country lanes costs me around £65, a trip from M/cr to Sth London and back cost me around the same (that was when fuel was £1 per Ltr!! and i had qtr of a tank left) - thats cheaper than a transit van... but it prob costs a fiver every time your missus wants you to go to the shops down the road... These cars are extremely well built and the ride is amazing, the refined comfort is second only to Bentley & Rolls Royce (in my opinion!!), and it has enough power when its needed, i love the feel of it from the second you close the door and i get all defensive when i watch top gear ( i like the guy, but dont listen to Jeremy Clarkson - most of his choices are way out of the average mans budget) and besides, in his dream world, we'd show him up anyway by owning the LFA Enjoy your LS if you get one, i recommend one to anybody who even looks at my car for more than a second, and if they ask me about it... i'm stood there in the street with a stranger for 20 mins going on about them..... buy one.. but try to make sure its had the dash & control arms done - it then shouldn't cost you much afterwards.... Its desicion time for me... it will cost me money again the next few months.. brake discs & pads all round, tyres, lower susp arms, some corrosion doctoring underneath to maintian its life, some paint chip remedial work, window switches, aerial, wheels...etc .... prob cost me another £1000, but do you know what.... im gonna do it, i cant swap it for another similar value car...what would i get in place of what i have now... nothing anywhere near the quality...... Enjoy

The big thing is the air-flow meter... But its not what you want to clean... so dont touch it - they are very expensive for an old Peugot 205GTi... so god knows what Lexus want for theirs... U just need to clean the Throttle Body...(located just after the big plastic thing, where the 3 accelerator cables attach to.) http://www.lexls.com...rottlebody.html The air flow meter as you will see is fairly clean inside.... wait til you see whats in the Throttle Body... thick black gunge I have done this job & its not difficult.

Are you sure one of the locks you push by hand is not sticking.... my passenger door will not lock automatically... it just goes half way and then releases again... i have to walk around and manually lock it with the key. And before you strip the alarm - strip the door panels & try lubing the mechanisms with silicone grease - the front doors should be the culprit... Good luck

a noise when braking sounds more than likely the brakes are suspect... could be worn pads, stuck calipers (causing your pads to wear at an angle, not even), or the discs - mine 'scrapes' because there is a lip on the discs - worn that much that the faceplate has sunk in below the vented edge, but still efficient and braking is good but it is the 1st job next week!! It then had noises when turning... after 2 weeks the backing plate came off , i knew i should've checked!! It's easy to check your brakes & not that much of a physical effort, i havn't had difficulty with any nut/bolt around the brakes/suspension. They only go on one way so you cannot get it wrong http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/brake/fbpad.html Just try it and take the pads out to look at, then clean with wooden bristle brush & hot soapy water or brake cleaner, look at discs and see if the silver face is 'sinking' away from the rusty edge, also check the disc is not 'ribbed' - run your (clean) finger down the silver face and it should be flat not rippled. An hour max for each side refitted, 15mins after 2 or 3 times :)

Well now... that is a tough one... My '93 has never broken down in its 18 year life.... the only parts to go have been normal wear & tear parts like suspension, rusty pipes (only 3!!), seals & gaskets... oh and the blinking dash syndrome!! but thats only on the 1st two LS400 models anyway i believe.... i'm lucky & can get some parts from scarpyards, but with yours being an 08 plate, parts would have to be original from Lexus.... I doubt the warranty would cover such wear & tear parts so you'd need to check exactly what is covered, and check your forum to see if there are any common faults (if you can call it that oon such a new vehicle!!) Personally i have faith in the reliability of any lexus after owning mine for 6 years, but after hearing stories of a few strange occurances in america with the newer models, then its probably wise to hand over the cash, but you would probably be wasting it as they are extremely well built. If you can spare the cash then do it for peace of mind, but have you ever seen a lexus on the hard-shoulder??? Ask an AA or RAC bloke when you see one....

Forget all the above 1st, its usually the throttle body - http://www.lexls.com...rottlebody.html It happened to me, it gets worse and starts happening when pulling away from lights or out onto main roads.... believe me!!! Easy to do yourself in an afternoon at minimum costs... around £5 for some cleaner... And at £5 its worth doing this 1st as sensors etc cost a small fortune and if you read posts, do not always solve the issue.. Half hour stripping the intake system down (like the p/s o-ring replacement..), unclipping the 3 accelerator cables and taking the throtttle body off (4bolts???), half hour giving it a good spray & clean - the throttle body has thick black carbon in and you will see pin-hole nozzles that get blocked up - this starves your car of air & causes it to 'choke' Try this 1st!!!!!

Ahhh the memories..... the cooling pipe was the 1st job i'd ever done on a car myself.... well 2nd after the o-ring replacement failed to stop the leak... mine was the fig.of 8 pipe down below the fan as you open the bonnet.... Easy job if anyone planning it themselves, done in a lazy afternoon with a few teabreaks....

Surely somebody must know.....

Driver's seat heater! Mines still working fine... but i cant work my front window, and the front passenger side only oopens by my control, not the passengers..... but hey, small stuff really

The 400 is probably the best car i've driven, ... im only 34, but I used to work in transport and have prob driven over half a million miles in various cars/vans/trucks, including 'the bosses' cars including 7 series & the V12 S600, but nothing has fell off mine, its never been in tio the garage for an engine breakdown in its 18 year life... which is quite amazing considering mine & all my friends past motors.. Its becoming a small burden now around MOT time due to the suspension rubbers finally giving in, but i still believe if i can sort those out at a reasonable cost (might involve getting my own hands dirty!!), then the car is certainly worth keeping as it still drives superb - even with pitted brake discs, worn suspension rubbers etc. There is also no visible rust on the outside (please note all mercs around the same age!!), I have 3 smalll spots of rust, of which only one has bubbled and looks fragile - and thats due to an ill fitted windscreen trim at some point by a well known company who'll fix yer chips. Typically, they make you sign 1st to say everything is wavered... And dont lock yer keys in 'cos the aa or rac bend your door back and it doesnt go back properly and you actually hear some road noise when driving your ls400!!! :shutit: Otherwise its the quietest car i've ever been in, although i have yet to try the Bentleys...:winky: Had mine 6 years, loved every minute & dont mind spending to keep it in good nick, its that good mate...

Hi, I know someone with the RX300 and its recently had a service & two weeks later the vsc / engine warning lights appeared. I've read a little on the sensors being knocked etc., but where exactly are these sensors & where can i find the info on how to diagnose the warning light? I have a LS400, and the posts in that group clearly state how to wire up the socket and display the codes, & what each code means... is there anything similar for the RX300, i see lots of you know what your codes mean, but i cannot get a code until i know how to wire up the obd2 socket or whatever its real name is?? and i havn't looked at the car yet so i dont even know where the plug is..... Any help would be great as this is not my car & I am not as brave as i would be with my own car... I have looked thro several posts here but its becoming very time consuming and the searches are just informative rather than exactly what im looking for.... Thanks

Alright Mucker? Don't give up mate, I've kept my '93plate on the road with the help of people here & lexls.com. You need to diagnose the faults here before lexls.com. I too have that orange engine light on... with mine its to do with the EGR pipe (exhaust gas re-circulation or something..) its cracked and fails the MOT due to high emissions. You should hear a slight blowing sound when parked in confined spaces, or just open bonnet and put head near windscreen and the pipe is directly in the middle down the back (between engine block & bulkhead) This brought me 3 error codes (13, 25 & 31) The explainations for these codes have several answers and are not clear to the amatuer user like myself but looking at all 3, it's something to do with air.... Mines due another MOT soon and i should be replacing the pipe, so i'll let you know if I can clear the warnings after replacement.... I too read all the info on sensors here & there, i also read about a bloke who had replaced all these at hundres of pounds and was still having difficulties.... so check the EGR pipe before any replacements... The 2000revs could be just the Throttlebody intake jets blocked...(fairly easy job). My car suddenly started to chugg & fail to go when accelerating. It started as a few shudders when needing more gas, but eventually it got worse and my car stopped in the main road after pulling out of a side street. The engine was still running but had zero power. Very embarrasing, but made me fix it. Took me 2 hours with cups of tea and double checking, so is an easy job that needs basic tools and some good cleaning fluid (see lexls.com). The engine should be ok, mine hasnt had a proper service in 5 years and is still going strong. I do fully intend to give her a proper service asap... you can't ride your luck that long with cars... but it does show what a reliable engine this is. Other main costs will include:- the control arms (all round, 4 front, 2 rear), a flickering dash (although this could explain your 60k on the clock... a new dash can wipe previous miles) - an LS at 60k isn't even worn in yet!!! A proper Lexus service..... smaller costs include:- replacing brake pipes (not brakelines, the steel pipes these attach to that carry the fluid around the car...) exhaust gaskets (2 near the cats @ the front) bonnet struts a/c display flickering dash There are others but its all i can remember for now Good luck & it should be alright mate (edit**) sorry, i only read page one before posting this.... but code 21 says its the "Main O2s & Heater signal, and 28 is the Main O2s. so it looks like you are on the right path..you now just need that path lighting up eh?

Yes, your LS400 for the next 10 days Manc, I took your comments on board. I have a '98 MKIV with 213k on the clock and it drives like a car with 20k on the clock. It's due for an MOT on Monday and I'm thinking, even if it fails on £600 worth of work, where can I get a car that drives like this, with a years MOT for £600? Thanks and good luck Alan, the 10 days will fly by, hopefully Desicions, desicions..... but instinct tells me to keep it even if it costs £1000 +... i even need things like new heat sheilds etc... some cost over £200... i've got to confirm these parts 1st but i've got some thinking to do for sure if not, i'll prob get another Lexus anyway..

Yes, they are bad in the wet if:- - you have a really heavy foot - you have poor or bald tyres - you didnt see the mud or grease on the wet roads - you never really learnt to drive... (sorry its not personal, i have just seen some shocking driving the past few months and its making me wonder about this country's standards!)

Steady now: more like 1.8 tonnes. Its what the plate says in the engine bay.... gross weight 2.3..... looking at it i didnt think it was the load bearing weight as it didnt show front & rear capacities..... so 2.3 ton was the only description of any weight...but i will check it again...

HI, Yes this happened to me too... 1st time i was charged 15 quid - apperently he did the gaskets and had a right pain getting the bolts off.... i doubted he'd done all that for a mere 15quid... and 6 months later his bogging had fell out... so i went to another garage and he just charged me £30 and said it was ok, not as much trouble as he thought.... I wouldnt bother doing this job myself as the cost is minimal but the effort can be something else if the 6 bolts are now part of the car.... the heat and exposure to the elements make these bolts corrode worse than others

Hi, sorry i missed you at the time of the post.... i might've saved you a small fortune Did you clean the throttle body out?? that is what causes the car to choke when you floor it.. its got tiny shafts to control the jets of air going in to the engine, these get blocked with carbon after a decade of driving - mine did anyway. Started with the lack of power when accelerating... did job myself in less than 2 hrs (with brews), and only cost a can of cleaner. This site or lexls.com tells you how .. or post a reply... speak soon

Alright Al, Had a brew and read your posts... stick with your instinct in Lexus...dont buy a merc... my dad has their so called 'flagship' 2000 model - the S600, the engine is a beast but its regularly in the garage at several thousand pounds in repairs.. his drink holders have fell apart, the trims are loose and they rust like tin cans... Any mechanic can do your belt at half the cost....(i paid £500 with several other jobs). The car wont run properly if its not right so you will know instantly. Only go to Lexus if you feel you have to.... i went in to find out where the power steering was leaking from & they told me the gearbox was leaking..would i like a qoute?...no thanks was the short answer as i was putting a litre of p/s fluid in every 2 weeks, so i knew it wasnt the gearbox... They also quote over £1000 for the early model dash replacement, (its fixed by your model i think) when the actual cost of the 3 replacement components needed is less than a quid...then i now have my doubts about the dealers - Always check here 1st for info, tips and savings!!! I dont know much about your models common faults but i presume the control arms need to be asked about as they can cost a few hundred + fitting, the car is 2.5 tons and with all todays speed bumps and dodgy roads then you should get the arms re-greased with high quality grease before the ball joints go. Lexus is superb.... I've had my '93 model for 6 or 7 yrs now and its never broke down (nor in the 8 years my dad had it previous)... not bad for a 17 year old car! its very comfy, very quiet, very smooth, very reliable, and hardly rust... no rust shows on the outside of mine ..just inside in 2 small places - one on the rear bottom trim where wheel arch goes up, and on the front passenger windscreen support - this is now a pea size hole caused by Autoglass not fitting the trim correctly Mechanically, they're sound - The biggest job mine needed was the control arms replacing, did it myself to save a few hundred pound fitting - took 2 hrs to do both sides, not bad for a first timer... replaced o-rings and pipe on the p/s, replaced a brake pipe (look for this!! rusty THIN pipe going from one rear wheel to the other). The only scare i had was when it failed to drive when i put my foot down to join a main rd and it didnt have any power - i stopped the traffic and it eventually flew off down the road choking or suffocating was more like it. After a quick browse on L.O.C. It turned out to be the throttle body and i cleaned this myself too at a cost of a can of spray....and an hour and half with a brew The car still drives superb and looks...ok, think im facing some costly m.o.t's in the next couple of years tho..... It's only worth £750 - £1000 so i cant buy anything near as good as it just yet so im just gonna keep it and see My friends all wonder why i keep it b'cos they listen to Jeremy Clarkson too much, im 34 and they think i should have an M3 or something... the Lexus just has me hooked... when it does eventually get sold or declared B.E.R. then i can only see myself looking at other Lexus.. So yeah.. enjoy it & see u around

Hi have a nice 1990 totally original Red Ls400 ' Wow, mine prob just needs a set of wheels and 2 slight scratches removing to make it look pristine...they only small marks & not down to metal. The interior is v good for the age (even the drivers seat!!), but mine is only 18yrs old & does need a cosmetic once over. In fact, I'll give Lexus £500 (maybe £1000) and my car for the show if they will truly appreciate the original model and return it to showroom condition, it could do with new wheels, aerial, brake covers, underbody cover, u know stuff like that.... oh & drivers elec window (switch) In fact, they should really sell the old LS parts cheaper, and service them cheaper too. It can only be better for the name if the are many good quality older models still going strong. (especially with toyota's dramas recently!) I wont take mine to the dealers as the costs are extorsionate for a car of this value. Still, its my own fault, if i'd've tarted it up last year like i meant to, it would be perfect for the show :( How about the silver one sold on 'Deals on Wheels' I saw it around shropshire/cheshire last month and it looked brand new! shame about the silver & i was jealous of the clear indicators

I've got the same dilemma.... Mine a K reg and there is a small list of jobs to be done (i've fixed most of the common faults) , plus any cosmetics like scratches, wheels, window switch, aerial, etc. even the brake disc cover fell off last week :( Its prob gonna cost me over 1000, but to be honest with a car like this its made the choice more difficult. I'd keep it forever if the underneath holds out, but i think any car you buy will have problems and expenses, but with me fixing most faults, and doing some work myself (the control arms and throttle body being the bravest) I now feel i'd be silly to sell this car for say 750 - 1000, and buying another 'bargain basement', prob for a slightly higher value (already losing money right there), finding out that cars troubles & fixing them, tax, mot, ins....... forget it, i'll spend the money on the car im happy with. Saying that i'd better get the AA out for a full check, then decide eh?.....

You can fit it yourself. I think you lose the electric ability when fitting a standard mast, so you'll have to manually push down/ pull up depending where you are parked. Just buy off lexusparts for 30 quid and there is a simple procedure to follow (see lexls.com) I have had trouble with mine, but nobody else has. There is no unscrewing of bolts involved at all, just keep 2 buttons (sorry, i forgot which) on radio pressed while turning the key to 'acc', remove old mast, replace with new one, fit in a few inches and turn key to 'off'...simples lexls.com will show you how

So you didnt have difficulty putting the aerial back in? I've snapped 2 new ones and now have to go to lexus to get it fitted. I cant get the bottom of the aerial where the olive is, into its shaft...applied so much pressure trying i snappped the mast... Lexus tell me they only supply the one type for all pre 99 models....but it was slightly different from my original...