Manc

Hello knightman, I too know that demoralising feeling about my beloved LS, but it is still on the road and running well....in fact the engine is still sublime after 230k, but the warnings im getting each m.o.t. are becoming a bit scary....jacking points and rear mounts and subframe issues etc....things i dont want to hear after spending a few quid on her last year... I too have desicions to make My rear brakepipe also blew a hole in itself. You can do it yourself, the pipe is £30 odd pound from Lexus swindon, plus 2 bottles of brake fluid. (you can buy 50m lengths for £30 for the whole system, but you have to shape it and cut it yourself) It was caused by the clips that hold it in place being worn or snapped off. This makes the pipe vibrate i presume. Its tucked away so i couldnt see stones causing it... It also needs bleeding after and it should be done properly by decent machines, but the traditional method worked for me. I thought the brakes were still spongy at 1st, but after a few miles they are now fine again. If you take it to a garage it shouldn't expensive and not more than an hour labour. The old pipe is cut off (easier & quicker than fiddling), the new one takes half hour getting in place 'cos of all its twists and turns and not much room. Then bleed the brakes...no more than an hour by professionals. Let me know if you want to attempt it and i will explain how to do it. Dont know much about the steering rack, but another fear about mine now too But dont despair, Lexus can.....errmmm...... exaggerate things at times. When my p/s was leaking i took it in as i was passing and he told me it was the transmission not the p/s.....I was spending a tenner a week on p/s fluid so knew he was wrong. Since been underneath for various jobs and the gearbox is absolutely fine????? Then they say the instrument panel needs replacing at £1100, when really its just 3 capacitors and costs a tenth of that to send off for repair or less than a fiver if you are an expert solderer with the right equipment. So relax until the final answer is there Its not just mechanics that do a 2nd rate job nowadays...every industry seems to be that way now

Embarrassed?? well i bet those folks who 1st thought 'ha look at that...a Lexus broken down' were soon brought down to earth when you were quickly on your way again, and then wishing their cars were as reliable as ours

If the accident was not your fault then you have a right to get your car back in the condition it was in beforehand. Dont let the insurance co. fob you off with a cheque for half the value (If it is a write-off). Jig work lowers the value of the car immensely as it is never the same again and is weakened so its unfortunate either way but make sure you get what you lost (you can include receipts for recent work too!)

Service history is all well & good, but look for reciepts for work done previous. These cars are excellent but do have some faults and can be expensive. If a car looks good on paper, it means you will get all the common issues so its worth getting one thats had some of the common things replaced already. I'd pay a slightly higher price if i saw reciepts that have saved me any expense in the future. Dealers might lead you on 'cos the markets deflated and its near xmas...i'd buy private unless the dealers model was mint, with receipts and service history, AND 2 keys. A replacement master key is dear and needed if the fob ever goes out of sync High miles are only an issue for the suspension control arms. The engine can take it and more...mines done 230k and is 17yrs old, still runs without a whimper. The brake discs and calipers look old but are still in good condition, original exhaust (replaced 2 gaskets, thats it), very little rust for a car this age, and none of that rust is visible. Small patch in boot and at rear door arches inside on body. Any LS is a good buy really

my god, thats the worst Lexus i've heard of...looks like your project might become a full time job. What do you mean by exhaust leaking??? liquid out of tailpipe or blowing air? If its liquid it sounds very ill indeed. Are the revs constant or erratic. Hopefully its not engine managment. ECU's are expensive on rovers so god knows what Lexus would charge. Speakers from scrap yard mate, the system is excellent and worth keeping. Think its Panasonic which is also Technics, a top quality sound system. Temp gauge might well be disconnected due to engine issues...check this soon as it can cause endless damage if overheated. Head gasket damage and warped blocks leading to poor compression (no power) has been the result of overheating on a Peugeot i once owned. This could have happened and not fixed properly. but im no expert sorry The car should idle when warm at around 600 to 800 rpm. Cold does start up around 1300/1400, but does drop after 5 mins or so. Lack of power could be the thottle body amongst other things, but its usually ok when driving. They have tiny air inlets inside that send air into the engine mix, when these block up with years of carbon they starve the engine of air and it usually cuts out when you pull up, or struggles to get going when pulling off. I've not heard of it being constant slow when driving so there will be more issues along with it. Im no mechanic but have had mine for 5 years now and have visited this site hundreds of times for info and came across other issues...my bookmarks are rammed with links to this site on the issues I came across or am expecting in the future. This forum will help you with almost everything, its excellent for the older models. I've got the mk2 '93 and the people here have helped me immensely. This is the first place to look...always This forum has loads of posts on most faults. Use the search at the top right and use single words or just browse the ls400 section and you will find things you need to know. You can spend days, even weeks on here once you start investigating stuff and end up knowing more than your local garage does about these cars. (so you know when they try to rip you off!!) Other top sites I use are: www.lexls.com - this is a free site but it has a pay-pal option. I'm intending on getting pay-pal just to sort this guy a few quid. He has saved my car from the scrap-heap. He's got photo step by step info on most jobs. Excellent site http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/ - this has exploded diagrams of most parts and allows you insight into jobs and part numbers. Insert chassis no. and away you go. There is a recent post here about fuel smell in a ls400, i think it was a seal on his tank. But no mention of using that much. Sounds like an engine issue rather than a leak from the tank, but possibly is both. 4 tanks...wow. I drove from Manchester to Godstone (J6 M25, or 6'o'clock if you look at m25 as a clock) and back and had just under 1/4 of a tank left. If you didnt set on fire in that 550 mile journey then its probably not leaking from the engine bay or anywhere near the exhausts but you were brave mate. When seeking help here as im sure you will find a few more issues once the fuel problem is fixed, you can either search in various ways as described above, post a thread (in the relevant section) with each fault as some people browse the sections and answer to problems they have had, and only some subscribe to new posts so you will be limiting your help if you throw it all in one. Mine has done 230k and is the engine is fine, but I've had most of the common faults with the mk2: -Make sure the transmission oil is pinky/red coloured, not brown..if its brown change it (lexls.com) -Suspension ball joints are starting to fail now, so yours will probably be on last legs too. Control arms can be expensive but i replaced mine with no experience. The rear ones are also on the brink... -The throttle body will need cleaning out but yours is without doubt a bigger issue than that. -Emmisions...dont bother yet obviously... but is usually the 'egr pipe' if your model has one?? you get told it could be o2 sensors etc but it can cost as there are 4 sensors i believe and its usually just the pipe. -Dash / center console or clock display issues....dash is listed under 'instrument cluster' in the search bar..not expensive to fix or replace if you dont go to Lexus direct. The a/c & clock display is a different issue but again is a reasonable cost to fix off the same man. see instument cluster posts when this happens - P/s leaks - cheap & very easy to d.i.y Thats about it for the common things i can think of...not many eh? Good luck with the fuel issue, once you sort that you should enjoy the project a little more Keep us informed too, to tell us what fixed it

from what i've noticed, just get them from lexus b'cos most others squeal all the time and it drives you insane

i read the other day that a multi point system should be used on these cars. Its only worth the money if you are keeping the car for the forseeable future.

Get the engine cleaned at those local washes run by the convicts or refugees, they can quickly and easily steam the engine bay for a fiver. Its worth taking the under-engine cover off before hand so that all the crap can escape down their drains and not drip on your driveway again overnight as those covers can hold lots of liquid. you could just push it up a few times before taking any nuts off and you will see the hole where it usually drips from will become a tap after each push. Just loosen the rear nuts slightly, undo the sides and then the front nuts and it should pull down and you will have some excess fluid and water in there that will now run all over you or your drive so put cardboard down before you drop it down, then take the last nuts off and run the car round to the wash. Leave the engine running when washing it & be carefull of clips and wires and things that powerfull water can snap etc, just quickly splash those parts Mines a 93 plate and the common leak on this model was underneath the reservoir, where it meets the pipe that runs down and out towards your air filters. You can't see it without taking all the air intake plastic bits off upto where you can access the nuts underneath the reservoir easily. There is a small o-ring on the metal stubb (bottom of reservoir) that goes into the pipe, it took an hour to do and was fairly easy. But this didnt stop my leak and i had to have the engine cleaned to find it. It was from the cooler pipe (fig.of8 thing, open bonnet and look down behind the fan), this dripped b'cos of old clips that were weak and the fan blew it all back all over. Both the o-ring and new jubilee clips cost me less than a fiver You can do it yourself or the garage should take no longer than an hour labour. The part is £2 odd. Dont let them fool you into a new pump or anything Good luck

You can still look at the mk2 console removal and use it as reference, it wont be that different, after all you are just removing parts held in with screws. Some screws are hidden in air vents etc, it can be awkward and/or frustrating at times but its not brain surgery to take them out. If you buy a new unit just for the lights....i mean, what if the new units lights go too?? learn how to change them, if it is the bulbs they should be cheap and will also cost a sunday afternoon too. Try http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/ This has exploded diagrams of most parts so this could include interior electrics too, its worth bookmarking anyway for future niggles.

I thought when a belt went, it ruined some engines by bending components inside etc (if you try to start it again!!)

I go against the norm too. Im 33 and have had my LS for 5 years, love it to bits and started doing some work on it myself, just so i could keep the thing on the road. I was offered a bargain Y plate mondeo zetec recently, well looked after and serviced regularly and to be honest it drove reasonably well (for a ford! :shutit: ) , but I couldnt do it and I persevered grazing my knuckles whilst changing the control arms on my '93 LS. I've had a few sheds in the past that have cost me a few quid every few months... a nova saloon (the addiction must have started here?), fiat tipo with the digi dash, Peugeot 205gti (what a great car, a go-kart!), bmw 318i, cavalier cdi I worked as a courier back then and regularly used the bosses cars for trips with small parcels so they could keep the vans for big stuff, suited me great and I couldnt help noticing the difference with bigger comfier quieter cars on those long journeys. Then my cavalier needed £600 spending on it, I went to my dads to 'loan' it, and he was just moaning about it costing him £800 thro advertising trying to sell his lexus...he'd had it for years and yes he was 50 and tubby , 2nd owner, always garaged and serviced etc, he then said its only worth 1500 and i could buy it for a grand. My eyes lit up as i could have a great car on 'finance' with my dad. Think i eventually paid around £800 which back then was a right bargain. It has never been a pain in the arse like the rest of the cars, its never broke down ever (even with my dad) and has only recently started costing me some money with the common faults. It is 17 years old so i cant whinge. The engine is still sublime so its got plenty of years left yet... i wonder how long i'll have it for And my next car just might well be another Lexus...

mines a 93 and is 'slightly scratched after years of cleaning' type wood veneer :(

Apparently there is a bloke in Glossop. Theres a post on here somewhere mentioning him If you come accross mystery faults then have a look on here before anything. I've saved a fortune doing things myself that would take a garage 'a few hours labour mate' over a £2 part... Im no mechanic so i have found this site and lexls.com to be very valuable tools. If you dont want to try yourself, looking here will give you an idea of the faults and prices so you know when some local garage is trying to rip you off or not. Lexls.com is ace, it shows you pics of jobs and you can work out what tools and parts are needed and if you can manage it or not Enjoy the car, mines a 93Kreg with 230k and still runs superb, just the bloody suspension is starting to cost me cos its 18yrs old

The 52plate rx300 has a tape deck...does yours? If yes then just get a £5 tape adapter from tesco or a better one from a proper shop and plug it into the mp3player headphone...works great and very good quality sound. You dont really notice the wires (cos you're driving) as they hang down in the center console. And you wont need bluetoooth as modern phones have very good speaker anyway Im very suprised that a 2004 Lexus has no audio input..tut tut

Dont let BMW fool you into thinking they have smart cars.... The engine 'recognises' the better grade fuel because it burns better and is therefore more responsive You can put the odd tank of cheapo in as long as you have some good gear left in the tank and top up with good dtuff before it runs out... i've never known anybody to have issues with cheap stuff as most folks i know use it all the time. I try to put good stuff in 8/10 times but this bloody government keeps those taxes so high 1.15 is blinkin theft. Before all this banking fiasco, we were told the barrels had come down in price so exactly why is it that our fuel is still going up?

Well thanks for the regards Sir John, the starter was replaced and it's running smooth. I should have read your post before writing my other post above......... but at least i am getting good at fault finding as my suspicion was correct

In my 1st decade of driving sheds, i too was always under the impression that a single click was starter motor trouble. If the battery was low or dead, then you can tell by the dash lights being dim and the motor turns slow. It can also be the alternator not charging the battery properly Is there a power steering leak too? This is a common cause of alternator failure. But the starter motor can be knackered by people turning it thinking the engine is off... i have done this 2 or 3 times myself in the 5 yrs i've had the car. Im no mechanic sorry but possible causes can be...the starter motor, spark plugs / leads or the wiring loom fault in the boot hinge causing random electrical mayhem good luck and let us all know

Wow, is that the engine in question? That is spanking clean, almost new looking. Very good for flea-bay I had mine cleaned to find 'that p/s leak', but no way is it as mint as that. My engine block has slight discrepancies, errr, well go on then, yeah it has slight corrosion due to excessive heat levels...all metal does it you know, a bit like the wheels end up..... That engine and a good history would be a top selling point (except the beige colour...sorry)

Not quite the cash saving venture you had hoped for then? Only fit LPG if you are keeping the car for 3 years or more or it costs you more than the fuel would have done, especially when the LPG fitters haven't a clue about the cars electrics, they just know how to fit the systems they sell and then dont want to investigate any problems that arise after.....not a wise choice

One of the many Steve's on this forum used to have an avatar pic of his grey imported LS and his wheels looked fab. I've not seen it around for ages so dunno if he's still around. I think they were Mazda wheels too, not spokes or crome, just looked the part

Thats a great link, thanks Steve

You dont have to travel anywhere for this man!! ten minutes taking the instrument cluster out, only have to be really careful when sliding it out so the screen doesnt get scratched, but its not brain surgery and is ok for amateurs like ourselves to do. then you can send it in the post (forget royal mail for now eh?) take it into work & use TNT or the likes of proper next day transport firms. (around 10-20quid usually) i got mine back within 3 days - DO NOT EVEN PUT THE KEY IN IGNITION, NEVER MIND TURN IT, as this will set off the airbag light and a £100 bill from the garage to reset it. Dont think you ring him, search for 'instrument cluster' on this forum and you will find a post with his details on.

they dont half vary these insurance scams..errr companies sorry.... locked garage, approved alarm/imm, less than 7k a year (if you dont commute to work , its cheaper still), if you do say you travel to work, then say its not at peak times, etc there are endless ways to reduce the policy price. I got my tips off moneysupermarket.com, the original and only comparison site i use (b'cos of these tips i found) Insurance is almost legal fraud..my mate got 2.5k for his written off van when it was valued at 6k by the companies own pricing site...disgraceful Im not condoning any fibs whatsoever......but they will rip you off, so tit for tat i say

Yes mate, is does do it the world of good. Mine died when pulling out of petrol stations etc, nearly caused a crash a couple of times..... then hazards on and try to get up the kerb, and put a hand of acknowledgment up with a sheepish look ...sorry..... I cleaned the throttle body out...it looked a bit daunting at first, reading about taking the cruise control cable off etc but its a doddle really looking back now. I dont think you can put anything back wrong. Make sure you get a top quality cleaner, as the wrong type can leave residue and cause problems further down the system when it blocks sensors etc. I cant remember the type now, you'd better check

God is that it? and the dealers want how much?...its just like the instrument cluster scam.... :shutit: The leak is usually from underneath the reservoir, not the pump. O-ring is only a couple of quid from Lexus, cant recall the part no. but a search on this forum will find plenty on how to change it...took me an hour (with cups of tea...) I'd do it myself if i were you b'cos the little £2 bit of rubber has already cost you a bundle and another hours labor at the garage will double the charges...its up to you I was lucky as i'd left mine for ages and also got sick of topping up the fluid (£50 later... ) When i read the posts on the alternator troubles i knew i had to do it, but it turned out it wasnt leaking from the usual place. Mine leaked from the fig.of 8 cooler pipe that is below the fan as you lift the bonnet. The fan had blown it all over so it looked like it was the reservoir. A few new jubilee clips did that job. If you're unsure get the engine steamed from the local car wash lads but take the engine cover off (underneath) so it washes away and wont drip on your drive again