Ninety-Eight

Do they have them on the Mk3? Someone suggested EGR valve as it seems to be louder when cold.

Oh, and, we know the LS400 is a better car than any of the others listed, we don't need VOSA stats to prove it!

While I agree to a point but since we don't know what data is missing (only that lots of data is missing) we can't say how accurate the data we do have available actually is, thus any conclusion drawn from it is unreliable at best. If no Lexus data is missing and no Merc S420 data is missing the comparison is valid, however we cannot say for certain that all the data is there for these two models. If you want to see how bad the data is try find a single Morris car in the whole data set! And there are thousands of them still on the road... There are other completely missing manufacturers and many models missing within the manufacturer. Not one single Mitsubishi FTO in the data for example.

OK, I have a 187K mile LS400 Mk3 which I recently bought. I am slowly putting together a "snagging" list and #1 problem is that it makes a noise like "pinking" when accelerating with more than a gentle pedal pressure and over say 2000 RPM. I potter about at less than 2000 RPM or with a light right foot and its all pretty quiet. If I put my foot down to overtake or pull onto a busy road etc. I get the hammering of a thousand tiny anvils. I had originally thought it was an exhaust leak as they can sound "pingy" but I'm not so sure as its RPM and engine load specific. Can any fine Lexus experts out there give me a bit of a check list of stuff I can look at (I'm a bit of a loss with all this electronic stuff, I'm used to cars with carburettors and distributors I can tweak up a bit to see if that helps) Cheers.

I ran "super" and regular in my LS400 Mk4 which has the VVTI engine and thus should be susceptible to changes in octane unlike cars with fixed timing. I noticed no notable difference in economy or performance.

I''ll say the same here as I've said elsewhere. These figures are wrong. Plain and simple. There are huge numbers of cars missing from the data. I have looked through the original PDF from VOSA and the data is wrong there too. So because we don't know which cars are missing we don't know how this effect the percentages. If another 10,000 LS400 which passed first time were missed the % fail rate would be better even than is quoted there, but say they missed a significant number of S420s out which passed first time, maybe Merc would pip Lexus to the #1 spot there.... Its a sad example of incomplete data being released under FOI or press release and a bunch of journos and people on the internet making a series of assumptions based on that. I have already seen some interesting statements made and comments off people who clearly don't understand statistics for a start. But this is irrelevant when the data is wrong.

You could say that :)

fair enough, would have been a bit of a coincidence (and a heck of a drive for you!) if it were.

eBay to the rescue! I just bought a '95 Mk3 LS400 for a decent price (£700). It needs a little tidying up but it seems a nice honest car. Its got a few parking dings and scrapes but no serious bodywork issues, the driver's seat doesn't recline (I have an offer of a seat to replace it from a member on here but I want to at least try repair it first), and I think both mirrors need replacing (but not urgently) and the alarm fob is missing. It has had a serious wedge spent on it, all new springs, control arms and what not in the last couple of years, and it rides lovely, like it should. I think its also had new discs and some other "etc." So generally, I am pleased.

I'd like more power. I always want more power so this is in no way a criticism of the car. :) And nicer alloys. I'm not a fan of the factory ones and I've yet to see a set which aren't peeling. I'm not sure what the folks complaining about the audio are complaining about? The Mk3 and the Mk4 seem to have nice audio. The Mk4 I had the audio was fantastic.

I think I need one of these as well. I have two keys but no remote fob for my car. Neither of my keys has a button on it. The locks are way too frozen for me to tell if it opens the boot or not just at the moment!

Didn't get a blue one from Doncaster by any chance did you? I looked at one there at the weekend and the magazine was missing.

the Bilt Hamer ones (I can't spell it either) are very good in that you can use them with plain water without risk of damaging the paint any, rather than almost every other type where you need to use a quick detailer type spray to lubricate the clay.

Yeah, I'm trying to find one cheap with a recent belt! I don't ask for much. Mind you some of the examples I have seen for sale since looking, blimey... Not pretty. I tried liking the Saab because its such a mechanically sorted and very sensible car but you know its not about telling yourself what's sensible, and these things are nothing to do with common sense.

blimey, last car I replaced a timing belt on was a Vauxhall Victor and it cost me £6 for the belt. I think the Cortina was like £8. I'm looking at a LS400 Mk3 with incomplete SH tomorrow so had assumed a belt would be £30-£40 and that's the lot bar a couple of hours faffing to fit it. £340 worth of parts would be more than half what I'm looking at paying for the car!

thanks!

thanks, sounds a more realistic fix than anything internal at least :) I'd like another Mk4 but I don't have the budget for that.

Just looked at an LS400 (Mk3) and the seat did not recline, I noticed there were signs of the seat back having been removed for someone to have a play with it. Is this a common or "known" fault and is there a common or known fix for it or is it a case of taking stuff apart and messing with it until it works again. Also - the car sounded a little "tappety" when cold, (1 degree ambient temp when I was looking, brrrrr) which seemed to quieten down OK after it was warmed up a bit. Seller said the car has been standing a couple of weeks (which means a month LOL) but also mentioned the "o" ring on the exhaust needed changing, and i have had tappetty noises turn out to be leaking exhausts on V8s before. OK, impossible to diagnose over the net, but just casting about for opinions. The car is cheap. It might have to be cheaper. I have a very tight budget.

thanks for the info. It does back up the fact I think I need to be looking at Mk3s. Performance matters to me and its pretty much a full second quicker from 0-60 there.

OK as far as I can tell, please correct me if I am wrong. Mk1 - the "basic" LS400. 250 BHP, 4 speed auto. Mk2 - some detail changes Mk3 - "squinty" looking headlight arrangement, longer wheelbase, dual zone climate, improved dash design, 260 BHP engine, better aero, lighter weight Mk4 - HID headlights, improved aero, sat nav/touch screen in dash, DHP optional, VSC optional, 280 (or 290 depending who you read) BHP, VVTI. 5 speed auto. So my best bang for buck would come from an early Mk3. Anyone wish to differ?

assuming that the rolling radius remains the same, then you will have the same amount of gap between the top of the tyre and the wheel arch regardless. The thing is the sidewall of the tyre is shorter to make up the difference. If you go for a taller tyre then your speedo, satnav, odometer, etc. will all be inaccurate and you will make the car slower to accelerate by effectively raising the overall gearing. It will also raise the car off the ground more which could also worsen the handling and braking, albeit slightly. I really like the look of the wheels you linked to there, a guy I knew had a set like that on an early LS400 and they looked really good. I think the car was lowered as well.

I'm browsing the LS400s for sale again having had to sell my Mk4 a couple of months ago. Is there an easy list somewhere like an FAQ which tells you what changes on which models and which years these are applicable to? Or does someone just have the info they can post here. Thanks.

Cheers I have an offer of a cheap p/ex and a good cash offer which will clear my immediate debt and give me a car to run until I am back on my feet again so I think I'm happy at that.

I unfortunately am going to have to sell my LS400. I thought it would be nice price (but not "cheap") at £2995 but I see a lot advertised for more than that which don't have DHP which mine does. I also see some cheaper ones. Its a '99T with 122K on the clock and full Lexus history. One of the temperature illumination things is out, I think the control arm bushes are just starting to wear as I occasionally get that "warped disc feeling" when braking from high speed. The car is clean and tidy and I'm gutted to have to sell it but I have a financial problem and this is my only obvious way out of it. So I don't want to let my lovely car go too cheap as I desperately need the cash, but on the other hand I don't want it on the market for months as I really need the cash sooner rather than later. Obviously tricky to value a car without seeing it but your thoughts guys?

I have to say most of the stnadard wheels on the LS400 are a little lacking in "panache". I have the DHP edition with the nicer alloys on it. A chap I know has some neat imported Work split rims I might try on it as they are the right bolt pattern etc. and would really look the part.