Dave76

Hope you get it sorted Mike, you had more than enough with the LPG fiasco

Thanks WillSkoda, I was just tossing around ideas before I got to bottom of this bush thing, thanks

Hi Will, that confirms what I was thinking to do. I saw my mechanic yesterday & he said the same, unless its vibrating or something bad dont worry about getting them done yet. I knew what ball joints & when I hit the kerb avoiding the squirrel NY day 2012 I waited till MOT to see if anything was wrong, they just put 'slight play', as I knew what ball joints were I left it& all I got this year was 'slight play' again. Now I know bushes fall into this type of 'problem' & with your post as well I am going to go ahead with Profess & get the LPG done Probleam was Lexus made me think there was some kind of major problem with the suspension so I panicked. Before this I thought bushes were the places where drunks do a toilet when they get thrown out of the pub, no wonder Lexus dont sell 'em.

anyone had any dealing with this guy or know much about them? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BLACK-LEXUS-LS400-MK4-1998R-2-OWNERS-MOT-SEP-TAX-OCT-SATNAV-NICE-1750-/300899243384?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item460efe1578&clk_rvr_id=478992033660&afsrc=1

Its 140k, no not this ‘bush’ advisory just one for “slight play in front ball joint” but I know what happened with the ball joint, I hit quite high kerb hard (ripped the tyre) avoiding a squirrel but this bush thing I have never had. I think it was the way Lexus came across telling me I had to get lower suspension arms, I don’t even know what bushes are or what they do, but all of a sudden I was confronted with ‘lower suspension arms’ were needed, of course, me being illiterate on these things I simply thought ‘”a suspension problem” & do know that’s not to be taken lightly….…so I thought ‘what next’, because I am illiterate on these things. But its coming through on here that the thing as a whole is not a huge problem that needs urgent attention. Its all made worse ‘cause I had Profess booked for last Wed, both tax & new insurance are due end of month so decisions have to be made as accurate as possible, including the breakers potential & all the hassle of buying another, which in reality might have the exact same problem or no problems at all for this next 10 years. Anyway the replies are giving me clearer, in context, picture so I am non to worried at the moment ‘cept about the LPG conversion. Thanks for all replies & thanks for fedback on that LS seller or maybe dealer, I agree prices are going up & noticed there are more being sold by dealers than there used to be, seems to indicate some kind of organised system.

Anyone know any history of this dealer? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BLACK-LEXUS-LS400-MK4-1998R-2-OWNERS-MOT-SEP-TAX-OCT-SATNAV-NICE-1750-/300899243384?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item460efe1578

I'm getting abit more of the picture now with those posts, as I said I have heard of guys needing 'bushes' but Lexus threw me on the suspension bits & did make me start to consider - is it worth it as 'this might be a sign of things to come with a '95 car'. Apart from this the car is in superb dry condition underneath, perfect engine, needs a fanbelt & maybe a tensioner, but it has made me question whats best with a '95, at least your posts so far show its a normal wear problem just heightened by the Lexus parts supply system.

OK as many know I was getting a conversion last Wed, so instead of getting an MOT & then making arrangments with Porfess, I made arrangments with Profess & got the MOT last Mon (holiday Mon). It passed the MOT but an advisory was that it needed, top, rear wishbone bushes..then it all went pearshape. Bushes & wishbones to me are just names I have heard mentioned, know nothing about except they are to do with wheel areas, so, I called in a Lexus I pass past Mon, I almost certainly did not explain I needed bushes for the top wishbone & cant really remeber exactly what I told him except the bushes were to do with rear wheel area. From whatever it was I said, the guy said he knew what I meant & that it needed lower suspension arms at at least £250 per wheel, that threw me, Ive heard of bushes & thought you simply bought the bushes & the garage fitted them for you (I buy parts, my regular mechanic fits whatever it is). I told Lexus to hold it. I called in at my regualr mechanics & gave him some blurred story as to what I thought was wrong, he checked & said it was the upper wishbone bushes which need replacing, nothing more unless Lexus have some kind of policy of not supplying bushes but a whole part instead, he does not know. So can anyone comment on the above, I am sure its familiar to many here but I am in no way mechnical minded or close to that. I contacted Leon at Profess & said I forfited my deposite, but, he was as good as gold & emailed back saying that if I got the conversion in this next 3 months the deposite is till, what a great place to do buisness with, when things go pear shape & I am out of my depth its noce to see a bright light shining somewhere. Anyway any comments on the above welcome, I mean a '95 LS, I wonder how much is worth spending on it, if anything. Apart from this whishbone stuff its fine, bone dry underneath, no known corrosion at all & running like a dream - but I feel insecure now, I am well out opf depth on knowledge.

It was the repeated refs to Cardiff that threw me, I had assumed it was at the edge of that city

Its ok thanks, I checked on google map but tomtom had got it anyway, thanks

Hi can you guys who know tell me if Profess is outside Cardiff, up not to far from Pontyprid, Blackwater that way on - both Tom Tom & double check with AA route planner did lead to that area somewhere, I did think it was on the outer edge of cardiff city, any comments?

I just noticed another thing, hes' put the cc at 3,969, thats an earlier 400 cc, my '95 is that cc, the 97 was the higher cc, only one of those check history things might give some better idea about its background.

How on earth anyone can make such a mess of an add is beyond me, 13k in main add, 13k in spec section & then in Q & A section say it was bought at 50k, amazing!

Its back on ebay at £1999 but is not 13k.....yes it is, well that is, but, no its not, or is it or maybe not.....I think, therefor I am!..... I think! Anyone read the Qs & As at bottom; Q, Hello what are the circumstances that a car that is 16 years old has done so few miles? A, Hi there, 16 years ago, the car was brought at 50K. The owner has been taking great care of it that he does not want to drive it too often. In his early life, he was very busy and ran his own business 60 hours per week - he was so busy that he did not have time to drive the car! He had his own van for his business; that was the main reason why he hardly used his Lexus :) Genuine Sale Q: Hello what are the circumstances that a car that is 16 years old has done so few miles? A: Hi there, 16 years ago, the car was brought at 50K. The owner has been taking great care of it that he does not want to drive it too often. In his early life, he was very busy and ran his own business 60 hours per week - he was so busy that he did not have time to drive the car! He had his own van for his business; that was the main reason why he hardly used his Lexus :)

Hope you enjoy it, I think the guy is right, they do seem to be going up in asking prices or maybe the crap ones are not being advertised much anymore, I doubt they would be an easy car to resell though, unless you've had one few can accept these ages and still going like new, checkout ebay for s-class of the 1990's, hardly any! died of broken hearts years ago!

Do you mean this is something we can do & then fill up at some filling stations? is it something like you have to commit to spending a minimum amout per month or year or whatever, I suppose I mean I only know about fill up at petrol stations, is what you mean something else?

I dont understand what you mean?

Something else came out of my contact which might have been the cause of all the problems Mike Sands was having with his 430. I asked for the price for a 400 & 430, the 430 was more expensive but something Profess said might well have beeen the cause of Mike Sands problem, those who read his posts might remember his installer never really got to the bottom of it & as far as I can remember he was stil having probs when I last saw his posts, below is what Profess sent: - The reasons as to why the LS430 is slightly more expensive is that it would require dual OMVL twin pot Reducers to cope with the BHP. -

Ahh so thats it, I only started wondering about it this day or so. One thing Ive noticed this past week or so, it seems mainly Shell & BP who sells it do any of the others have it such as sipermakets or whoever?

Well that’s me booked in with Leon Profess for wed 8am. The way petrol has been shooting through the roof this past 18 or 20 months it’s the obvious way to go providing you feel secure about whose doing the job & Lean sure did that with Mark, me next. Whats with the LPG prices, is not taxed or something?

Im non to sure about those cleaning agents which have to go through the engine parts, valves etc, all cheaper cleaning agents have a high probability of having an an abrasive element & in the long term they might well cause some wear & tear on engine parts. I wrote this cause I read a blog review by someone on those cleaners they put in petrol tanks to clean the carbon off the heads etc & he came up with all kinds of probs not least that they dont work anyway. His conclusion was that the high grade petrol fuels with their well researched & developed cleaning agents in are about the only ones that work & even then you need a full tank & quite a long run, preferably at speed limit. Im just sceptical as to the quality of these things taking into account the potential for harm.

Yea Im looking forwards to getting that changover done & dusted, in London LPG seems to average 74.9 but once outside Shell seem to a 72.9 average with BP at 73.9, thats S Herts

30mm is not much, it really dont disrupt putting other stuff in does it? So 95litre is around 25 gal, is that about right? the petrol tank on my 95 has 85ltr capacity which is 22.5 gal, according to the good book. What is Flashlube? sounds a bit like something to put on ones hair. I emaled porfess & got a load of info back from leon, I did not know we got a courtesy car, I knew you did but I thought that was to do with the problems, seems its normal procedure. I will get it done within this next 2 weeks, based on recent events I doubt theres a dealer in UK who can equal Profess/Leons standard of customer care & service.

OK I understand how yout working it out now, thanks. Mark, what size tank did you have in & what was the option you chose not to have, thanks.

I'm due next week, I wanna get it done befor I book with Profess, I expect an advisory of slight play in ball joint, I know, thats what I had last year & it makes no difference so I left it, hit a large kerb in Hyde park N Years Day 2012 avoiding a flaming squirrel, never mind, my dogs had couple since then, its pay back time.