Jefflex

Hit a curb and bent a few connecting mechanical bits on the passenger front wheel. No damage to Chassis, luckily.

I Need. Lower Arm, Upper Arm, Anti role bar link and a strut. - not too much, after all.

Any suggestions, anyone one know of a breaker that might have these parts second hand? Obviously looking forward to seeing what Lexus qoute..

Oh yes, 2 OEM Alloy wheels, please. I'd buy a full set if anyone has them collecting dust in the Garage.

Saw the set on Ebay, just now... but not happy with the condition they are in..

The End.

I'd grab those wheels if I were you and get them referbed.

http://www.lepsons.com/wheels-tyres.phtml

Ok. I'm new to the 430's. This means I'm open to all things new learning about my new car. I can read a manual ... and follow it.

When it takes a book of well over 100 pages to tell you how the satnav works you might forgive me for getting just a little bit bored ...

finally after about 30 odd minutes I did manage to understand how to set the unit to home... well done I thought .. now I just have the rest to learn .. .. .. ZZzzzZZZZzzz

I'm with Tom Tom and have been for years. True, Tom and I have fallen out at times and almost come to blows on occasions. He has LED me up the garden path, down an ally that was just wide enough for a bicycle, once into oncoming traffic and another time around in hopeless circles. I can forgive Tom all those transgressions because the manual is just 2 pages thick. This is because the rest is pretty much self explanatory .. ..

I find the system in my car to be the most caffangled system I ever did see. Its a millennium behind the cheapest modern systems from Tom, Garmin and Navman. Now the previous owner has updated the maps in my car so its not old mapping I have. I do feel that the base software such as it is, is very old. I have several countries on the system too. Hey, guess what? I got the Vatican City! Yay! And San Morino. Luck me.

What I dont have is a command for France or Belgium but the system seems to know Im in these places and tells me that I am crossing a border but trying to set an address and the system gets haplessly lost and seem to just want to understand English spellings to French addresses as the possible input letters are somehow computed in English and the letter options just arent there and so the system just freezes. Its laughable .. .. .. so long as you dont have to rely on it that is.

From the get go Ive failed to trust this system and I was happy I had Tom with me to sort out my navigation needs.

The bottom line as far as my opinion goes is that the system in the 430s is really antiquated junk. Hopelessly out of date in every way and as Lexus want £160 for up-dated mapping, remember, this does not up-date the operating system which you would need to do to bring some modern relevance to the system. This is one customer that would prefer to buy a whole new modern unit of any manufacture than buy new stuff for a tacky old system.

Its a shame that the screen cant be replaced with a Tom unit but there are so many other features that are controlled through this screen.

Id be glad to hear what the rest of you think.

http://www.lexus-mapupdates.eu

Snaps

Hi all. I took out the steering tilt motor and tested it. It looks like my one is a gonna. Before I order a new one I'll get to an auto sparks and seek advice as this is the kind of component you'll never get a refund on so best to be sure.

What I have done when I replaced the motor is to set it a comfortable adjustment for me. This means I can comfortably get in and out of the car. After driving 200 miles today I can say that it works very well like this. I'll fix the motor but it's far from necessary now I've set the tilt angle.

The in and out action actually makes for much of the tilt as it does come at you from an angle and I've had no problems finding a comfortable seating position.

Anyway here are the photos I took. I’ve also posted some comments. I haven’t clue how to upload this to the site for future reference so any help with that would be useful.

http://picasaweb.google.com/herenthere0/SteeringTiltMotorLexusLS4302003#

Snaps

Have a look on the US forums, the LS430 is far more common over there and tinkered with a lot more than over here. Having said that I just had a quick search and everything I found said it cannot be disabled as it's part of the ABS/TRC ecu.

The system in the LS430 uses the individual speed sensors to measure the wheel speeds and decide whether one must be flat. It's not like the newer LS where it uses actual tyre pressure sensors (which you could effectively just disable).

I hope you find the answer you're looking for, but I have a feeling you're not going to find it.

It looks like I must reluctantly concede on this little project. Im sure it can be done but I'm supposing you'd need to get into the ECU and get to the firmware to find the switch. I need a pal at a Lexus dealership for the inside track on this. So no quick fix here. I'm going to get out the dash and see if I can get at that LED and perhaps take it out or just tape over it. Whatever the result is I won't be looking at it for much longer.

Delighted to see this thread on here. I've just bought an LS430 and it's booked in to ProfesGas in South Wales on 5 Nov. Fitted in a day and only costs 1300 quid.... bargain!!

I've had LPG on both of my Scorpios for the past 7 years or so. Absolutely delighted with it and saw some real savings while enjoying no power loss. I fitted the systems myself and had them certified by an installer and never had any issues with insurance when I told them I'd converted the cars. You will find that some insurers on the comparison websites won't quote because they don't allow any modifications to the engine but there are enough who do that you can always get a competitive price.

Once the system is fitted, I'll come back and update you on my experience.

TC

hi. I've heard both good and bad about those blokes. Ask if you get a flashlube kit fitted for your £1300

Perhaps you could do me a favor. when the job is done, nip under the car with your camera and take some detailed pictures of the job. I'd really like to see their finished product. Thanks.

Snaps

I Will gladly pop some pics of my LS400 converted to lpg by Profess Gas tomorrow.

Regards Mike

Will have to be tomorrow now, promise. Not enough hours in the day.

Mike

Here we go as promised Well I am stopped in my tracks as I dont seem to be able to upload pictures to the site.

What a shame.

Mike

I dunno how to do post pictures into the site either. It's a secret known to only to a lucky few who gaurd it for coming generations of Lexi owners!

Snaps

Delighted to see this thread on here. I've just bought an LS430 and it's booked in to ProfesGas in South Wales on 5 Nov. Fitted in a day and only costs 1300 quid.... bargain!!

I've had LPG on both of my Scorpios for the past 7 years or so. Absolutely delighted with it and saw some real savings while enjoying no power loss. I fitted the systems myself and had them certified by an installer and never had any issues with insurance when I told them I'd converted the cars. You will find that some insurers on the comparison websites won't quote because they don't allow any modifications to the engine but there are enough who do that you can always get a competitive price.

Once the system is fitted, I'll come back and update you on my experience.

TC

hi. I've heard both good and bad about those blokes. Ask if you get a flashlube kit fitted for your £1300

Perhaps you could do me a favor. when the job is done, nip under the car with your camera and take some detailed pictures of the job. I'd really like to see their finished product. Thanks.

Snaps

Hi. Would anyone here know how to shut down the tyre pressure warning system on a LS430

Not reset. Total shut down.

thanks

Snaps

The basic reset simply clears the TPMS warning message. Re-initialising the system cannot happen until the warning message is reset (cleared). If re-initialisation is not done then the TPMS warning will come back as the tyres will still be judged to be punctured.

Hmm, getting nowhere fast here. Is there any other models that have this system? If so I'll go into one of the other groups and annoy them a while :)

Snaps

Hi Guys

I have just bought a LS430 Premium Pack yesterday and I am condidering an LPG conversion. If any of you have had it done please let me know your thoughts on it.

I have seen a thread here on the marelli system and just wanted to know if that is any good. The installer near me uses Zavolli, is that any good.

I am based in the Midlands

Any advice is appreciated

Regards

Ifty

Whatever you do you "MUST" use one of these fitters http://www.drivelpg.co.uk/ on this site or you may have a big problem finding an insurance company that'll insure you. I'm with Groupama and they kicked up one hell of a stink .... read on

You MUST ALSO TELL YOUR INSURANCE THAT YOU HAVE A SYSTEM FITTED AS THIS IS A MODIFICATION. IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS YOUR INSURANCE MAY USE THIS AS A COP OUT FOR NOT PAYING YOU OR ANY DAMAGE YOU MIGHT CAUSE. EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT ASKED THIS WHEN TAKING THE policy. THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE.

I wrote my 400 off a few weeks ago and my insurance gave this a go. I told them to get stuffed as I had a new safety certificate on the car and argued that as long as I had a valid "MOT" on the system and as I am not directed to any specific MOT testing station neither should I be directed to a specific fitter. After a real time very angry argument they gave in and said they would pay out..... After this very heated discussion with the underwriter I got another phone call telling me much to my surprise that my car reg WAS on that site. WoW I never knew.

So watch your back and do it right. I'll be the best money you'll ever spend and as the 430 loves a drink you'll get your money back quicker. I don't know of any system that is bad. I've had Zavoli's on both my cars over 5 years and it's worked well -

On closing it seems that the insurance companies seem to use this website. I hate this way of working because imo it restricts competition which I hate. Also these companies have little self knowledge of how this stuff works and in blissfull ignorance, right or wrong they cop out and use this site above and if you ever have the chance of talking to your insurance about this i promice you you will understand the level of total ignorance I am trying to convey.

Snaps

Hi again

This is a copy of the procedure to remove the steering wheel to get to that relevant bit. If its not sufficient, you could sign-up to http://www.justanswer.com for the full version. Hope it helps.

Thanks for that. I've just started the chain saw

Sorry didn't notice it was a 430 even the boot badge has a different part number lol.

Just looked at exploded diagram on toyodiy,fancy putting the screws behind the wheel.

Yea I know. Really dumb. :( but I've never had a problem I couldn't fix ... just a question of how much

Hi. Yep I've seen this vid. No use to me right now. The 430 is a totally different car from the 400. The only simularity is the badge on the boot lid. thanks Snaps

Hi. The up n down steering column motor has packed up on me today. I've been under and looked and see only one screw. Now the bloke at Lex said there were 3. He was right. The other 2 are .... YESSSSS you guessed hidden behind the steering wheel. Thanks a bunch!! This means that the steering wheels needs to come off. To do this I first need to dissarm the air bag system.

Is there anyone on this site that has that kind of knowledge and can walk me through this? I have just about every tool known to mankind so once the airbag is dissarmed and the wheel is off the rest isn't any big deal.

If there's anyone reading this that has such a motor collecting dust please get in touch.

thanks

Snaps

Are you sure that you can't get to the other screws by turning the steering wheel? I assume its the shroud that you need to remove to expose the motor. The wheel doesn't have to come off on the LS400.

Steve. The 400 is not the same car. Thanks

Hi. The up n down steering column motor has packed up on me today. I've been under and looked and see only one screw. Now the bloke at Lex said there were 3. He was right. The other 2 are .... YESSSSS you guessed hidden behind the steering wheel. Thanks a bunch!! This means that the steering wheels needs to come off. To do this I first need to dissarm the air bag system.

Is there anyone on this site that has that kind of knowledge and can walk me through this? I have just about every tool known to mankind so once the airbag is dissarmed and the wheel is off the rest isn't any big deal.

If there's anyone reading this that has such a motor collecting dust please get in touch.

thanks

Snaps

Have you tried "initialising" the system as above and not just resetting it until the warning light goes out?

As far as I know it cannot be deactivated as it is built into the ECU.

The system can be deactivated. Totally. I just need to find out how to do it. Taking out the bulb does not do it because you still get a read out on the dash as well as the warning triangle which is very irritating and in-ya-face.

Traffic cop.

Its a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

Pro Photographer with a side line in buying and selling luxury & collectable timepices.

Why not just reset it?

If you look under the dash (below the steering wheel), you'll see a couple of buttons and a knob. One of the buttons is marked with the word "SET" and a picture of a tyre appears next to it. To reset the TPMS (this is taken from the manual):

The tire pressure warning system needs to be initialized after tires or wheels are replaced or rotated.

To initialize the system, perform the following:

1. Park the vehicle at a safe place with the parking brake applied and turn the ignition switch to “LOCK”.

2. Adjust the pressure of all the installed tires to the specified level.

3. Turn the ignition switch to “ON”.

If the low tire pressure warning message "Low Tire" appears in the multi−information display, push the reset switch for a few seconds and make sure the warning message goes off.

4. With the vehicle stopped, push and hold the reset switch until “Pressure Initial” appears in the multi−information display.

Note point (3). If your TPMS warning is already on then you need to clear that warning first before the TPMS can 're-learn' the correct tire pressure settings.

Once "Pressure Initial" appears on your instrument binnacle display, then the TPMS system will 're-learn' the correct tyre pressures according to the following criteria:

Initialization is completed after driving at the speeds of 30 km/h (19 mph) or over for more than one hour. If the following driving conditions are satisfied, initialization will be completed in about one hour.

• The vehicle speeds is between 50 km/h (31 mph) and 100 km/h (62 mph).
• The roads are dry, smooth and straight.
• The number of passengers is one or two (including the
• driver).

If you make a mistake in the middle of initialization, perform the operation from the beginning again.

Do not push the reset switch without adjusting the tire inflation pressure to the specified level. Otherwise, the low tire pressure warning may not turn on even if the tire inflation pressure is low, or it may turn on when the tire inflation pressure is actually normal.

If you push the reset switch while driving, initialization is not performed.

If “Pressure Initial”does not appear when the reset switch is held down, the system may be malfunctioning. Have your vehicle checked by your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.

well it's just that. Reset - nothing more. If you drive a few miles up it comes again, nagging you. No, there is a way in the cars firmware to turn it off.

HI

Jeff congratulations on your new purchase!

Sorry if this is off topic but when you get a chance can you post a write up comparing the LS400 and LS430 so that prospective buyers like myself can atleast have idea of some of pros and cons of each model - "i keep hearing "the mark 4 LS400 is the best of all"?????

Also in your picture album you have pictures of the pre accident ls400 - could you let me know what camera was used to take those pics

regards

miq

Hi Miq. I loved my 400. It was in great nic when I bought it and I looked after it. I put about 25k on the car and it never let me down technically. It died at 99600m. However I did battle with the car in the wet. It really was dodgy at times. I don't race around. The car is a bit big for that but in the wet it really didn't take much for the rear to kick out. I could blame the tyres or the fact that I had 245/45/18's on the car but still.

My immediate impression of the 430 is that it really is a totally different car from the bottom up. The only thing that is the same is the cruise leaver. All the controls are different. The gearbox is 6 speeds which you can select manually all the way up. The power is much more responsive to throttle and the slightest squeeze will get the speedo into triple figures very quickly. Remember the car has double glass and is virtually sound proof. The premium pack adds a lot more but I'm loving the keyless entry. Very nifty and as you don’t see quite as well when looking over your shoulder while reversing that reversing camera is a godsend and it’s deadly accurate too.

I dunno but I swear the car does feel bigger. Is it? I should get my 400 manual out and look really. I does feel tank like and on the narrow streets around my way. It feels, well wide. The sport button which stiffens up the whole drive train does a great job. No more wallowing like the Dover ferry boat around the corners. I tried it on motorway and noticed I got a bit more road noise in sport mode. A small price to pay really for much up rated handling. The brakes are much better too. They will really nail the car to a standstill. My 400 was more... well any time today will do.

I'll take it out one evening in the wet and see how it does. I'll switch off the TC and see how it performs and put it back on and try again. The AFS “Adaptive Front Lighting system is cool too. As you turn the in a corner the headlights follow instead of just pointing forward. I can’t leave this post without mentioning the Mark Levinson sound system. Bloody hell. Thumbs up. Paul Rodgers has never sounded so good.

The wheels are going in for a referb soon. The lacquer has lifted and they are not pretty.

I took those car pix with my Canon5d MK2 /24-105L lens. No post production in Photoshop. Stright from RAW to jpeg compression. I have a 550d too. Which is amazing. The best DSLR on the market right now by a county mile. The 1080p HD video is great. So if you’re looking to bite the bullet go with a 550d body (just don't bother with the kit lens) and get a Sigma 17/70 OS HSM as your walkabout. You’ll love it. I’ve even used that set-up in studio and I got some amazing results, but this discussion is for another forum.

Snaps

This might be a silly question but have you got the right tyre sizes on every wheel?

No they are all different :duh:

I am looking to purchase a second set of alloys for my LS 400 on which to run winter tyres. Lexus want around £300 per wheel for new ones which is daft so what do other people run? I understand that the Toyota Supra has the larger brake calpiers and a similar offset so if the aftermarkets fit that car then either 16's or 17's will fit the LS 400 without causing too much discomfort. Am going to run Vredesteinwinter tyres from mid November until the end of March 2011.

I have a set if you want. Totally original in OK nic & with decent tyres too. PM me if you're interested.

Snaps

Rear wheel drive,250 BHP is not a good combination in either wet or icy conditions, with 255/40/17 rears and traction control it may as well have a pair of ski's, my Citroen van handles better,front wheel drive and narrow tyres.

Yep!

and I wont be rolling with Pirellis in the near future either

Hi. There just picked up my 430 today. The tyre pressure warning is on. The last owner said there's not a problem with them and Lex had changed and bill him stupid money for the job but it's still not right.

To be honest I couldn't give a stuff. I've been driving 30+ years now and I've never needed and never will need this kind of technology on my car.

i know there is a way to kill this ridiculous system stone dead. Could someone please tell me how to take it out, once and for all.

thanks

Snaps

Hi all. I thought it might be interesting to start a thread to know what tyres folks are on and if you change for winter if so, what are you rolling with.

Above all else are you happy with the handling braking/grip/dry/wet you get from them?

Snaps

I have had no problems in the wet or snow with my mark4 once I got shot of the useless pirellis it came with that is. last winter i had continentall winter contact tyres & the winter before michelin summer tyres. I dont drive it like a granny but its not a rally car either.

If you want a bit of comfort plus toys & want to hoon around go for a mitsubishi galant vr4, not as comfy as the lexus but loads of grunt & 4 wheel drive/steer.

should keep you out of trouble or put you faster into it if you push it past its limits.

Just to put the record straight I've never raced my car around or hooned around the bends but the car really didn't need much in any way for the rear end to kick out. I was on Pirelli’s come to think of it. That my well be a contributory fact, not that I'll ever know.

I think snow driving is something that no car is great at. True the colder it is the better the grip but that's not your typical UK weather conditions anyway. Black ice and you’re in the lap of the gods.

Thats strange mine still runs fine on lpg at 145mph do you have an older type single point conversion or a multipoint, mine only switches to petrol if i really give it the beans on acceleration, I had 25kw injectors fitted to try to maximise economy.

No,no a multipoint system. Mine would kick out if I really kicked it and slammed down the hammer too. Did the 25kw's show a diff in consumption?