John N

From experience Toyota/Lexus have used the same fuel flap mechanism across many models. There is a small flat spring on the fuel flap hinge that pushes the fuel filler door open. I had to replace one on an old RAV4 a few months ago and my LS430 has the same mechanism. It's a cheap part from your local dealer and easy to change. Because the fuel door does not open when you pull the manual release it indicates the little spring is the problem. You can easily check the solenoid release is working. Open the fuel flap door and watch the release pin when somebody in the car operates the release switch. John

Just go on Ebay and put this in the Search Bar - Lexus LS400 1996 to 2000 Power Steering Rack Remanufacturing / Repair Service £325 for a refurbished one.

Just looking at the picture where you have circled. That is the spot where the wire from the O2 sensor on the exhaust comes through the floor. Check underneath, the rubber grommet may have come out. It had on mine. or someone may have fitted an 'after market' O2 sensor without a grommet. John N

On the LS430 there is a problem when you replace the coolant. An air lock forms in the heater, and it can take a few runs to get the air out. You just have to keep topping it up when it cools down and the problem will disappear.

That's a coincidence! Mine passed its' MOT today. That makes 18 years without a single MOT failure, according to the DVLA Website. It may be more but there records only go back to 2005. (It is cheating a but though, there is a 5 year gap in its' history when it was off the road before I bought it.) Check X977HKY

Do you mean cleaning a carbon buildup out of the engine or the catalytic converters? I recently bought some Cataclean Petrol Fuel and Exhaust System Cleaner Catalytic Converter Additive from Ebay. Bought two bottles and the engine certainly ran better after I used them. The service guide for the LS430 does tell you to use a fuel additive like Red X regularly. In fact Lexus sell there own version.

The exhaust specialist you are seeing on the 24th sounds your best bet. I've just had a similar experience. The engine warning light came on indicating the bank 2 catalytic converter was failing. An 'Italian Tune Up' and cat cleaner worked for a short time, but the fault kept coming and going. Eventually after a few months the fault came on and stayed on most of the time. Despite the engine running faultlessly. Used a scan tool to check the O2 sensors, they were all working OK, but the one after the bank 2 cat was fluctuating more than it should indicating something wrong. I then started checking for exhaust leaks, although I couldn't hear anything. There was a small leak on the flange between the catalytic converter and the exhaust right in front of the O2 sensor that was fluctuating. Fitted new gaskets and nuts & bolts to the flanges on both sides and a day later the fault cleared! "That's sorted it" I thought. But a week later the fault came back. Listening carefully I thought I could still hear an exhaust leak, but I couldn't find it. But after another two months the leak had grown big enough for me to find it. A small crack in the pipe after the O2 sensor. Finally I had a new Y pipe made and fitted by T G Silencers of Rochdale for £180. The problem is now solved. The way your problem has developed slowly makes me think you have a similar issue, as exhaust leaks develop slowly and the problems come on slowly. This is why I say 'don't buy a new catalytic converter'. Best of luck.

A high CO reading will indicate the engine is running rich. This can easily be caused by a leak in the exhaust near the front O2 sensor. This makes the O2 sensor think the car is running lean, so it turns the fuel up and makes the engine run rich. Don't even think of buying a new catalytic converter until you have checked the exhaust for even small leaks. Find a good exhaust specialist who knows what he is looking for and doesn't want to just sell you a new catalytic converter.

If you need Exhaust work doing in the North West try T G Silencers, in Rochdale. https://www.tgsilencers.co.uk/ They have just made and fitted a new front Y section between the front catalytic converters and the middle catalytic converter on my LS430 for £180. It may be a 'back street' workshop,but they know what they are doing. Highly recomended.

I agree with you. I've been watching him too, and he explains things very well. John N

Solved The Problem At the third attempt I managed to sort it out. It was a silly mistake. Because the new pads were black, I had got the 'black anti squeal shims' mixed up. On one side I had put a stainless shim on each pad, but I had put two black shims on one side and none on the other. Oops! All quiet now. John N

A lot of Toyota and Lexus modals use the arrangement of a transmission fluid cooling pipe in the bottom of the radiator. We run a LS430 and a RAV4 and they both have the same arrangement. The main cause of the cooling pipe connections corroding and water getting in the transmission fluid is not changing the cars antifreeze every 3 years. All good antifreeze contains a corrosion inhibitor that stops this problem. But the effectiveness of the corrosion inhibitor fades with time, and this is why antifreeze should be replaced every few years. Worse still is filling the engine cooling system with plain water when it has been drained down, or topping it up with plain water when you have a leak. That can be a very expensive penny pinching move. Change your antifreeze every few years and stop worrying. Both our cars are over 20 years old and have not had a problem.

Yes the discs and pads were from the local Lexus Main Dealer. I've always bought my brake parts from them. The original equipment parts have always been consistently good and worth paying the extra.

Just fitted new 'Main Dealer' front discs and pads to the LS430. A trouble free job I've done many times before. But this time they have started squealing after about 15 miles, and they have kept on squealing when I brake gently at low speed. I did notice the new pads were painted black, Part No 04465-50230. Previous pads I've had from the main dealer have been Blue. Anybody had any similar problems? John

The system uses the same radio frequency as WiFi. I had the same problem at home because of a neighbours faulty wireless door bell. It affected a few cars in the street.