ChrisW
-
Posts
69 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Store
Gallery
Tutorials
Lexus Owners Club
Gold Membership Discounts
Lexus Owners Club Video
News & Articles
Posts posted by ChrisW
-
-
I got married on the 18th of August and my trusty LS400 did a great job as the wedding car. It felt strange to be sitting in the back but very comfortable and the air con was very effective on the hottest day of the year!
The car will probably be for sale soon. It's mechanically sound but the paintwork is suffering and I can't justify the cost of having it resprayed. I'll miss it though and I wouldn't be surprised if I end up buying another LS in future, maybe a Mk4. There's something special about these cars - I was only intending to keep mine for a few months but I've had it for over 4 years now!
-
Direct Line had always been the cheapest for me but Chaucer beat them by £100 so I've switched! Nice to hear that they've got a good reputation.
-
PS: Antifreeze...... any recommendations for good value but reliable stuff? I'm running plain water until I'm sure there are no leaks; but obviously I'll need to put some proper stuff in before long.
I always use the pre-mixed red coolant from Toyota. It's about £18 for 5 litres and you'll probably want 3 bottles.
-
That is a test port for the seatbelt pre-tensioners.
I think we have a winner! Sorry there's no prize. :P
-
Aha, mystery solved! Thanks Dave!
-
Any idea what this yellow thing is? It's behind a removable panel under the right hand side rear seat.
-
No-one has got close to Direct Line for me. I paid £263 last year.
-
OK in January 2009 I paid £56.71 and that was with a 5% discount, so that £65 quote is probably correct. The part number is 88880-50020.
-
I'm fairly sure the two filters came together in one box when I got mine, so you should only need to order one of whatever part number it is. Maybe £65 would get you four filters!
I'll try to find the invoice this evening to confirm.
-
My UK Mk2 has got one (actually it's a pair) but I don't think it's mentioned in the handbook. Replacing them isn't too hard - you pull off the trim under the glovebox and then remove a plastic cover on the bottom of the heater/blower unit. The filters have a folding joint to help get them in and out.
Luckily my hayfever isn't too bad these days as long as I take the tablets, so I can't really say how much difference the filter makes.
-
You haven't changed the thermostat yet? That must be worth a go.
Is the coolant still leaking after a run?
-
Yes the friction material on the new shoes was a lot thinner than on the pads, probably only 2 or 3mm. I guess if you never accidentally drive with the parking brake on then they'll last forever, or until the rust gets to them.
-
Thanks. BTW, what would be the reason for changing the parking brake shoes? Surely they don't wear out. I don't think I've applied my foot brake more than a handful of times in over 3 years. Maybe I should apply it more often to keep it from seizing?
The shoes probably didn't need changing to be honest. I just thought I might as well do them while I was doing the discs and pads, and I had no idea if/when they'd been changed before.
You can check the shoes when you take your discs off. If there's still a decent layer of friction material on them then I'd leave them alone!
-
if i remember you have to take the handbrake off dont you to get the rear discs off? not physically take the handbrake off just push the handle down!! lol
Yes, except the LS has a foot operated "handbrake" that you release by pulling a handle on the dash. :)
-
I can confirm that rear discs and pads are easy to change.
The parking brake shoes, on the other hand, are a complete :tsktsk: !
-
I don't know of a Lexus specialist but you can't go far wrong by choosing a Wheels In Motion affiliate, see here for a map:
http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/tyre-fitting-centres.php
I got my MR2 aligned yesterday at STS Tyre Pros in Huntingdon.
Or if you're in Essex, Elite in Rainham are very good.
-
Awww isn't this forum great, I feel all warm and fuzzy now :)
It's not your fault, It's a LEXUS. A very precious asset :)
Yes it was only supposed to be a temporary car while I got the MR2 fixed, but now two and a half years later I've still got it and drive it much more than the MR2! These cars certainly get under your skin.
-
That makes sense, and I probably shouldn't be so precious about a car that I paid less than £900 for!
-
Steve: Thanks, I wasn't expecting people to search the forums for me but there's some useful info in those threads that I hadn't found before.
Dale: Welding it all up is tempting - I'd have to get someone to do it for me but it shouldn't be too expensive. My OCD tells me it's not the 'proper' way to fix it though! :)
-
I know there's a few threads about the common exhaust leak between the cats and the mid-pipe but I'm looking for some personal experience from people who have fixed it. Replacing the gaskets didn't work for me because the flanges are too far gone. I've been patching it up with Gun Gum but I'm getting fed up with having to re-do it every month or so.
Has anyone had new flanges put on the mid-pipe? If so how much did it cost and did you get the cats replaced at the same time? I suspect my cats need doing because the emissions were near the limit on my last MOT.
Also if anyone knows of an exhaust specialist in Cambridgeshire that can do this sort of work, that would be very useful!
-
I've just bought a set of Nokian WR G2 winter tyres, which will be going on the car once the weather gets seriously cold. My Falkens were hopeless last winter!
-
For the diff you'll need to get 2 litres of 75W-90 gear oil (capacity is around 1.5 litres). I used this stuff in mine:
Fuchs TITAN GEAR SYN 75W-90 Semi Synthetic Driveline Oil
There's a tutorial here: http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/suspension/diffchange.html
The gearbox uses a completely different oil which you can only get from Lexus/Toyota. Ask for Type T-IV automatic transmission fluid. I paid around £50, can't remember if that was for 4 or 5 litres. You need about 2 litres to drain the sump and refill (this isn't a complete fluid change, that's a bit more involved). There is a filter inside but I don't think it's designed to be changed often.
Again there's a tutorial on the LexLS site (for Mk1 & 2 but Mk3 should be very similar): http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/transmission/transchange.html
-
Cheers SteveLS400, I couldn't remember where the duff upper arms came from.
Apart from Lexus any recommendations for when I do need one?
I haven't tried these myself but Blueprint parts are usually good quality. Not cheap at £265 per side - how much are they from Lexus?
Left hand side - ADT38653
http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m30b0s3026p46421
Right hand side - ADT38654
http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m30b0s3026p46422
-
The parts catalogue I'm looking at is installed on my PC so I can't link straight to it, but I've taken a couple of screenshots for you.
In the first one you can see the control unit (89227), one of the motors (89231) and the position sensors (89233 and 89234). In the second one you can see the switch (89235).
Wedding Car
in LS 400 / Lexus LS 430 / Lexus LS 460 / Lexus 600h / Lexus 500h Club
Posted
Thank you!
I finally got round to using that "Rear Extra Flow" button!
I hadn't realised the LS was such a popular wedding car! If I sorted out my paint it could be a new sideline for me...