John N

I've been towing a 1550 kg van for 3 years with my 2001 LS430. No problems at all, it's an excellent tow car, the self leveling air suspension helps, but use your cruise control on the motorway or you will be going too fast. Set the suspension to 'sport' to limit any bounce at the back end. Follow the instructions in the hand book, use 4th gear for towing, and don't set the suspension to 'high'. I would strongly advise you to fit a transmission cooler I fitted one after I found the gearbox getting very very hot on my first trip, and I've had no problems since. See: - http://www.kenlowe.com/oil-coolers/automatic/automatic.html If you haven't done the electrics yet you can avoid having to wire back to the battery by picking up a supply from the electric box under the boot floor on the near side. The box has a 75 amp supply from the battery, more than enough for the caravan. Don't worry about upsetting Clarkson you can still leave most other cars behind at the lights towing the van ! John N

Just had 4 incredibly tatty original 2001 wheels refurbished for £220. (Powder Coated) They are the set I use for my winter tyres, and when I got them out of the shed to put them on in December 2 tyres had gone flat because the wheels had become porous. OK now. John N

I spray all my height sensors using an aerosol of 'spray grease' once a year. No problems so far. John N

I've had my 2001 LS430 for over 2 years and it's been the best and most reliable car I've ever had. No hesitation recomending one, but I can't compare it with a 400 as I've never had one. I remember reading a comment on the 430 in a motoring magazine, which said the earliest and last of the 430s were the most reliable. Certainly don't be put off by the 5 speed gearbox in the early models I think it was carried over from the 400, it's an excellent gearbox and is pretty bulit proof. But again I've not driven a 430 with a 6 speed box. In 'normal mode' the gearboxe software 'learns' your driving style to give the best economy, but it can catch you out if you normaly drive gently, because when you do floor the accelorator it will hesitate to 'kick down' because it's not your normal style! The solution is to leave it in 'sport' then it does exactly what you expect. The air suspension is also excellent, it has an optional 'high' setting shich raises the car to cope with rough bumpy roads, I use it all the time on the roads round Manchester. (You probably won't need it in Liverpool.) The first cars also have 17" wheels - cheaper tyres and a more comfortable ride. The age these cars are getting to the most imporent thing is to find a very well maintained one. John N

Does that work for the LS400? Mike Don't know, have you tried it? John N

Alternatively to access the Diagnostic Menu on the LS430 touch screen do the following. 1. Gear selector in park. 2. Handbrake on. 3. Ignition to ACC, (or start the engine if you want to do a speed check etc) wait for navi screen to power up, click "I Agree" (or buy the Vias Ipod or dvd lead and it does it for you) 4. Press and HOLD the OPTION button and AT THE SAME TIME... 5. Turn headlights from off to sidelights five times i.e. off/side/off/side/off. 6. To exit the menu, turn off the ignition, car will then behave as normal. You will then get a screen displayed, it shows if there are any faults stored in the ECU, you must wait until it populates the empty spaces. I repeat, you must wait until it populates the empty spaces. John N

My understanding is that two models of the LS430 were originally offered, a base model with a normal spring suspension and a 'luxury' pack model with self leveling air suspension. Everybody bought the 'luxury' pack model and the base model was quickly dropped, if you find one it may be an import. When you buy an 'old' luxury car, you have to accept the risk that something expensive may need replacing. My 2001 LS430 has covered over 50.000 m in the last 3 years, without any suspension problems. On the other hand the Mercedes S class I ran for 2 years needed, two new rear springs and new front shock absorbers. Don't be put off by the air suspension, like most things on a Lexus it is very reliable. If I was looking for a replacement car I'd look for an early 2001/2 LS430 with a 5 speed gearbox, they appear to have even fewer problems than the later cars. John N

No, you'd be wrong! The prop shaft is connected solidly to the back wheels through the differential. According to the spec the dif ratio is 3.266 to 1 which means the prop shaft turns 3.266 times faster than the back wheels. John N

Hi Have a look at the on-line service manual at http://bahamutcars.free.fr/workshop/LS_01-06/contents/index.html use Internet Explorer and be patient. In the 'Repair Manual' section look under 'Service Specifications - Suspension and Axle - Service Data' and take your measurements with the car on a level surface and with the engine running. If your front brake pads are 80% worn, change them as soon as you can. If you leave them until the wear sensor activates, you will have to replace the sensor as well and that costs more than the pads! The tiny stainless steel clip that holds the wear sensor to the brake pad also needs to be replaces as it is not reusable. John N

Don't assume that because you've had the wheels balanced that they are OK. I've had tyres that have gone 'out of round' and have had bulges, but on the wheel balancing machine they have balanced up OK. Jack up each wheel, spin it and watch it go round very carefully and look for any sign of it being out of shape. I've also had the experience of having new tyres fitted and balanced, only to find I had a similar vibration. Went back to the tyre fitter and had them check the balancing again, but there was no improvement. I then took the car to a different garage that I trust and put the wheels on their balancing machine, according to their machine they were all 'out of balance'. When they had put them right the car was as smooth as silk! (I even managed to get the tyre supplier to pay for the re-balancing.) John N

They were fitted with Dunlops (Made in Japan), my car still had the unused original spare when I bought it. John N

I've just looked at mine carefully, and when it is parked facing up-hill with the suspension set high it looks very high at the front. But when it is running on the level it's fine. When I'm driving round Manchester I tend to leave the suspension set on 'high' it makes for a smoother ride on the bumpy roads. John N

Hi Jim Look at the on line service manual at: - http://bahamutcars.free.fr/workshop/LS_01-06/contents/index.html Use Internet Explorer to view the site and be patient. In the 'Suspension and Axle' section of the 'Service Specifications' there is a 'Service Data' file that gives the suspension heights. Check the heights on level ground with the engine off and with the engine running, mine often looks high at the front when parked with a load in the boot but the air suspension levels up once the engine is running. John N

This has not happened with my BRC system except when the LPG tank has been very low and about to run out any way. Does yours switch to petrol on full throttle, then switch back to LPG when you ease off? Some systems have been designed to work that way, it allows the installer to fit a cheaper undersized system which is ok on LPG for 99% of the time, but switches to petrol on full throttle. If it switches to petrol, and stays on petrol, then you may have an undersized feed pipe or evaporator. John N

I don't know about the LS400, other than the reviews others have written. On the other hand the 2001 LS430 I've had for the last 3 years has been the best and most reliable car I've ever had by more than a mile. I've now done 40,000 m in it and apart from normal servicing I've replaced the gas struts on the boot lid and a solenoid on the inlet manifold. Compared with my old 'S' Class that clocked up 30 faults in 2 years it's amazing. The early LS430s with the 5 speed gearbox, may be a bit more reliable than the later models. One reason I bought one was after talking to a man who had had one from new and done over 100,000 m in it. Had he had any problems or breakdowns? No. Insurance can be a pain as I live on one of the 'bandit' estates in North Manchester. This year 'Go Compare' found me quotes from £550 to £6,500 and many companies will not quote. Still that's £100 less than last year. John N

According to the LS430 Spec Sheet posted at the start of this forum they are stainless. Has any body else ever had to repair or replace an exhaust? Yes the heat shield fastenings will be corroded, but a good soak in penetrating oil should free them. John N

Don't forget the most important part of the job is to clean the metal dust off the magnet in the drain plug. As the gears wear in the dif they produce tiny bits of metal, and if it is left to circulate in the oil the gears wear out faster. That's why they put the magnet in the drain plug to collect the metal dust and stop it circulating. But there is a limit to how much it can hold, so it has to be taken out and cleaned regularly. That's the main reason we still have to change the oil in the differentials, even though the modern oils have a much longer service life. John N

I didn't spot any problems with my exhausts when I fitted my towbar 3 years ago. The silencers are stainless steel and if they are not blowing I would not touch them until they do start to blow, if ever. You don't need to remove the exhaust to fit the towbar, disconnect the rubber loops at the rear and the rubber blocks in front of the rear silencers and it will hang down enough to get the towbar in place. John N

1.35 Litres of SAE 90 Hypoid Gear Oil type API GL-5 John N

I've gone for a spare wheel well tank for the same reason. It still gives you all the boot space if you need it, but for 99% of the time I carry the spare in the boot. John N

Personally I think it is worth fitting a transmission cooler if you are towing a caravan of that weight. I didn't fit one at first, but the smell of overheating transmission fluid when I stepped out of the car after towing the caravan up a long hill, made me think it would be better to be safe than sorry. (A transmission cooler is a lot cheaper than a new gearbox!) The one I fitted was a Kenlowe, and it has been very effective. Try this link. http://www.kenlowe.com/oil-coolers/automatic/index.html John N

My MPG when I've been towing my 1,500 kg caravan has been around 20. But if I'm perfectly honest I've never measured it carefully. ( I didn't want to upset myself when I was going on holiday.) Put in perspective thats about the same as gentle driving in town traffic. By comparison cruising at 60 mph on the motorway without the caravan can deliver 28-30 mpg. Remember to follow the instructions in the handbook, use 4th gear when towing, not Drive (D) and don't race up long steep hills or you can overheat the gearbox, if you've not fitted a transmission cooler. John N

There is no need to remove the rear bumper, I fitted mine with the bumper in place. John N

ON my LS430 it's under the rear bumper. Because the car has a towbar fitted it has been attached to the towbar mounting which protects it from being damaged. John N

Hi Dave I've run a 2001 LS430 for the last 3 years and covered 40,000 miles, it has been the most reliable and best car I've ever had. 17" wheels should be no problem, they were fitted to the early cars and you should be able to pick some up second hand. I run Nokian WR G2 winter tyres in the snow and ice. To check the headlight levelling, park the car facing a wall so you can see the headlight pattern. Stop the engine, turn the headlight switch to the 'manual' on position and start the car. You should be able to see the headlight pattern level up as the lights and suspension settle down. Also if it is a later car, turn the steering and check the headlights swivel left and right. When you check the suspension height, check it with the engine running, on a flat surface, then turn the suspension height to 'high'. It should come up about an inch all round. See this post about towbars for the LS430: - http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=73528 John N