Malc

As an ex car dealer I would say that you probably paid a little over the odds for your car BUT that the dealers margin looks about right in this present market ! Sorry to say .............. maybe a harder bargain could have been achieved ................ cash is always king and no more so than today. Don't blame the car eh ! Just the margin that the dealer has achieved and wants to achieve if he holds your car back in stock. The car ( hopes ) will prove a really good buy, reliable and trustworthy to the end; that is unless you trade your cars in every couple of years or so and then you would expect to be keeping the dealer in champagne and strawberries. Don't be too upset about it all ......... just ENJOY your fabulous car! Malc

Can you tell us the progress with resolving the problem ? Malc

I'm with you on the 25000 miles ( max ) mark too. And that's been on Dunlops. But I do tend to drive quite carefully and haven't ever taken the old lady around corners at over 125 mph :winky: Malc

Quite agree, my sentiments entirely. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The early LS400 is a timeless and understated design classic .................. but I am old and maybe set in my ways ! And one of my other cars is a 1932 Triumph Southern Cross Sports Tourer ......... wow, that really is in a timewarp. Malc

Hi guys, I know it's probably impossible to tell .................. but from your experiences what sort of mileage would one expect from front tyres on the LS400 under " normal " driving and conditions ? Thanks. Malc

I buy my insurance from the NFU in Cambridge. I have google searched and they have a branch in Belfast too. Malc

That's why I hunted for at least 6 months to replace my tired J reg LS400 for my 1994 M reg now with 36,000 miles ! Just think that the original body shape is, well, the very best. malc

Just a thought ! Have you actually asked BENFUR on here if he can possibly diagnose ....... bearing in mind all that you have done thus far. Then, if that fails to resolve the issue maybe it's worth considering getting a Lexus LS specialist or Dealer to diagnose for you. It might be something really simple and if it's the ECU or summat expensive then Benfur will probably be able to supply something usefully economic to rectify. Malc

17 years old and a few body dings and bumper scrapes, well, that's not so bad really. I guess the car only cost a few hundred £squid maybe ? And you could spend £80k and still get body dings and bumper scartches in the first few days ! You might actually have the bargain of the month ! Malc

Frustratingly I know .................. my brake wear dash light showed up for ages until it went to have new front pads .......... loadsa life left in the pads BUT clearly Lexus likes to give plenty of notice. Changed the pads and the light vanished ok. Until the rear pads needed the same and again loadsa meat left on them before the change................ but again, new pads and the light vanished. On my earlier LS400 the brake wear light came on twice for the same offside3 rear stop lamp bulb .......... poor connection. Jiggled the bulb and the warning light vanished ........ the original bulb lasted for nigh on 190,000 miles ! Malc

Morning guys .......... absolutely bullet proof ............ just the points raised above and that's about it ! The dash and temperature lights can be sorted by Vince ( on here ) ... a relatively inexpensive and permanent fix ..... applies to the earlier models incl. 1994. Exhaust blowings from the flanges or the EGR pipe seem to sometimes cause irritation BUT the exhausts themselves NEVER seem to need repalacing. And apart from the fuel costs you should have great and comfortable and ( hopes ) easy and inexpensive maintenance, motoring. Enjoy ! I have now for 8 years and wouldn't change my car for the world. Oh, by the way, keep the sunroof drain plugs clear .............. I got flooded out the other day thru' a build up of dust etc in one of the drain holes. :tsktsk: Malc

I don't believe for one moment that benfur on here wouldn't have the answer ! It's bound to be something silly and trivial: What's the rest of the car like ? immaculate maybe ! Malc

Hey, I use Sam at NFU Dry Drayton Cambridge too ;) Malc

Hi, I think I might have read some threads on here that stated that the discs and pads are a different size also with the 15 incher wheels too. So take care I guess ! Malc

That's really interesting then guys .......... we can safely look forward to the waterpump lasting until at least the 2nd cambelt change it seems ! say 130k miles as a minimum. Are there any other experiences out there on waterpump longevity I wonder !! Malc

Just out of interest ..... has any member EVER had their waterpump fail ? My earlier 1992 LS400 was approaching 190k miles when I pensioned it off, ready for its next cambelt change and probably then I would have looked at the ( original ) waterpump issue seriously. Malc

Don't think your cambelt will need doing before 132,000 miles or 10 years since it was last done anyway .... then worry about the waterpump ! Malc

Excellent news ..... no more worries then for a 12 month and then, it will just sail thru' the next MOT !!! :D ;) :P Malc

On mine it was low life left on the pads .. BUT what is low to some people was about 4000 miles left to my service guy .... plenty of meat left on them ! Guess it's just a Lexus safety margin ! Malc

Wow, your car looks just superb ................ just don't squash it anywhere will you ! So, what was the final total cost ? Whatever it was it's not going to be alot of money for what would pass for a brand new car. And only 50,000 miles ? Malc

I guess you're in Barking and Dagenham then ! Part of my business is there ................ must make sure not to think about living there eh ! Malc

have you tried the NFU ? Malc

Just go4it then ....... 200 squid isn't at all bad for a car with 213k miles. And I can well believe it feels like it's only done 20k .......... these really are timeless machines ! Malc

Guess this MOT station Tester has taken a lot more care than the last ! I find it hard to believe a " fail " on those points after just 7000 miles ............. without a prior Advisory. What mileage has the car done now ? All the suspension stuff should last a good 150,000 miles before needing replacement. And as for the handbrake stuff at £400+, blimey, what did they do ? And the fate of the headlamps ? Do you think the MOT station has been a bit " over the top " with your car ? If so you can always have it verified by the Authorities BUT I think it costs though. Malc

You're going to love it... I bought a '94 car with 135k miles on it, easily the best car I've ever driven. I had a 2000 Jag S-type (the 3.0 version) a few years back, it was a total disaster, cost me north of £7k in depreciation, and the better part of £4k in parts to keep it running, including a £1k gearbox rebuild, all on a 4-5 year old car. Really poor IMHO. The Lexus, on the other hand, despite being older has done another 65k miles, and has only needed some bulbs, a rear spring, and regular transfusions of PAS fluid. The only problem is, I have a heavy right foot & don't seem to get terribly good mileage... Hey, take care with the PAS fluid levels ......... it's dripping on to the alternator ! And will knock it out at some time . Best to get the PAS reservoir gaskets sorted asap; alternators aren't cheap but will otherwise last a very, very long time ! Malc