Malc

Dec 2007 I paid £3700 ( asking price was £4995 ) for my then almost like new August 1994, 8542 miles LS400 ( now 31500 miles ). My 1991 LS400 with 189k miles I actually gave away at that time ! Value of my present car, well, prob about zero' ish I would guess. A later high mileager, well, I would guess you had best keep it and enjoy the trouble free and exceedingly comfortable motoring ! Value, with petrol at it's present level, I would guess not a lot I'm afraid. There's loads for sale and I reckon they represent in the best part great value for money if you actually wanted to buy one. Sellers abound and market forces tell me that big older cars ( over 4 or so years old ) have bugger all value in them anymore. Please tell me I'm hopelessly wrong ! Malc

Phew, glad I didn't see a Lexus in the photo ! Malc

Hi, just posted a comment on here about a similar problem. The PS box leaking can cause too much fluid to gunge up and into the alternator and cause that some grief too ! Expensive jobby I'm afraid. Recon alternator and someone to sort out the leaking PS box seals could do the trick ! Long and dirty and not too inexpensive a job I'm afraid. Buggering about with 2nd.hand stuff from a breakers might not be the best solution here as they will generally all suffer with a similar fate with age and time. Sorry to be the bearer of not so good news. Malc Malc

I understand too that Power Steering Box leakage ( thru' old age usually ) is a common cause of , maybe not so premature, alternator failure too. Malc I'd say that everything brightening up when you rev DOES point to the alternator. I'm no car electrics expert, but it sounds as if your alternator is not putting out as much power as it should do and your electrics are partially running off the battery until your battery runs out of charge. With regard to the sludge, I remember reading a number of threads on the power steering reservoir leaking fluid into the alternator and frying it. This might be what's happening here. Good luck with finding the cause... KEITH.

Hi , I only have an old LS400 and my previous one had 189k miles on the clock when I gave it away and there was never any thought in my mind that the water pump would " go " ! I would reckon it should last 100's of 000's of miles. Malc

Nick hi, I don't think you can really count road tax and insurance in your exceptional Lexus running costs ..... you would have these anyway ! Fair wear and tear with tyres and a battery, well, maybe ! Your only really exceptional costs are the one's caused by actually running a Lexus over any other car that wouldn't require replacement bits so frequently and, quite honestly, I don't think that there is any car around where the bits need replacing LESS so than on a Lexus LS. I've been running LS400's now for some 8 years ( now on my second ) and whilst I have another car for the missus I wouldn't swap my LS400 for any other big car at this time. Getting the very rare and occasional bill for summat exceptional is just so rare you know AND I have learnt from this forum that what I thought was a necessity for a cambelt change every 60k or so miles is really now recommended by Lexus at 100k mile intervals ! So you may have some leeway on this next big bill perhaps. I used to own a car sales business for some years and have driven most of the big beasts ( not a Maybach mind you ) and besides my classic 1932 Triumph Southern Cross Sports Tourer and my missus little 1994 Mazda 323f I really wouldn't want a different luxury car to my ( low technology and low potential expense ) 1994 LS400 ( now done 31k ). Malc

Hi guys, seems to me that there is a lot to be said for hanging on to an older LS400 then ! Far less technology to go wrong and perhaps greater reliability too. And I know that there are less gizmos and maybe the older one's are a bit old design and all that BUT, reliability is second to none with my experience of ( now my second ) LS400 .... a 1994 one now and a 1991 earlier with monster miles on the clock before I changed it. Been driving the LS400s now for about 8 years and love 'em to bits. Malc

Haven't noticed one, let alone two in my M reg August 94 LS400 ........... which year / model do you have ? Malc

BUT has anyone ever HAD TO replace the exhaust system yet ? I do understand that there is often a bit of an issue with leakage at the front end of the exhaust ........... around the manifold I guess ! ........... but as for corrosion ? Has anyone any experience / views on this apart from the front end blowing. Malc

Wow, has any owner of a LS400 EVER had to think about getting a replacement exhaust ? When mine was last up on a ramp I took a sneaky look and was told it looked almost like new still ...... after 16 years and 30,000 miles Malc

What mileage on the alternator ? On my old LS400, J reg, the alternator "expired " at about 150k miles. Malc

Wouldn't have even thought about underseal on the LS400 ............. Have they ever been known to rust ? or even to have any suspicion of doing so ?

I just know I'm ultra thick too .............. but we must all be not so, coz we all own a LS400 ( I guess ), and that makes us probably the most astute of car owners ! Can anyone tell me what the LS400 cost in 1994 ? Would be nice to know how much deprecioation previous owners took on the chin for me to own my beautiful monster. Thanks guys. Malc

Isn't there a boot release catch to the right of the steering wheel? Malc

Phil, hi I've been driving LS400's for some 8 years now and wouldn't change it for any other large car. I used to part own a garage and drove most of all the other large and/or fast cars around up to 2006. My first LS400 was a 1991 and ended with some 200k on the clock. I was always looking for the same model but much later ( the last in fact of this MK ) and found my second and current one which is a M reg. 1994 which I bought Dec 2007 at 8542 miles; now done 30500 miles. It's great driving an almost brand new, but quite old LS400 ! The car, prior to me, lived a charmed life in Ascot and Kensington on a private plate then of BCA3. Just really great motoring and in the knowledge that I'm just going to have to be ever so unlucky for anything EVER to go wrong ! ( hopes ). Malc

Hi, might it also be a bit lumpy because at 65k miles it ought to by now have changed plugs etc ! ( 60k life I believe ). Does it have a service record ? Malc

Hey, lucky you; only a new tyre needed then ! Can you swap it for the spare ? Sounds a good result for a MOT Pass BUT only to be expected for a LS400

I know the parts are expensive but I'd have thought the job was an hour or so at most, each side. I had both arms done on my J reg LS400 many years back at 150k and 160k miles respectively. Is it a Lexus dealer doing the job ? Malc

Had my dash lights fixed by Vince end of last year at £75 and on the spot at his place. It's a common fault in this model.

Hi. Sorry to hear of your trouble. Here's a few thoughts which might lead to a solution. Have you had any difficulty with the starter motor? If its on its way out, starting will (usually) gradually become more difficult. Does disalarming actually turn-off the immobiliser? (there is a solution on this forum, I dont have the MKII instructions) Have you just replaced the batteries in the fob? Have you had the car battery disconnected? Are all the battery/starter leads as tight as possible? Is the gearbox fully in park? Try it in neutral. Are the fuses under the bonnet in good order? Have you searched this forum, and the engine one, for a similar problem/solution? Hope you get on ok, please let us know. Hi, is the battery just " dead " ? malc

Try Westfield Motors, Rayleigh. Also, I understand that a cambelt change is also time related too ............ at least once every ten years ! is that so ? Malc

Thanks great, many thanks..Dave Eight. If you can't fix it otherwise then Vince is the guy who can fix it 4u. It will prob need a replacement part. I will find his phone number 4u if u ask OK Malc

Certainly is. I had a letter last year from Lexus, stating it to be 100,000 MILES. Hi Is that 100k miles and not kilometres ? and is it on this model too ? Should save us all a shed load of money methinks ! Thanks Malc

Thats for the fanbelt, worth it because if that goes while you are driving it will hurt. Cheapest water pump on E-Bay is £107 Coolant level reduced then !! I've had this " problem " for ages and I just top it up periodically. The engine never misses a beat and the temp gauge is always spot on ! No gunge in the oil cap either. I was told that the re-filling of the coolant is tiresomely long winded when you have an anti freeze change and the levels are desperately difficult to bottom out to. I take comfort from this that the levels just haven't bottomed out yet and ( hope ) that's all it is. I don't worry about it at all !! Should I ?

I have never heard of an LS 400 timing belt breaking because of normal wear. If Lexus recommend changing at 100,000 miles, there will be a BIG margin of error built in. I seem to remember someone saying that his LS had just reached the specified mileage interval and was asking if it was alright to drive the car, as if the belt would snap at 100,001 miles! Hi, I read a while back from Lexus I believe somewhere, that the recommended change at 60/65,000 miles was just that: a recommendation. Breakage would NOT occur at 90k miles but you shouldn't go beyond that. Lexus ran the original cambelt to 160k miles ( I think ) when it did eventually snap ! Lots of leeway then ! Malc