The-Acre

On 4/23/2024 at 12:42 PM, welland said:

What is the attraction of buying these parts from Rock Auto in US? Is it that they are cheaper that compatible components that are available at UK parts factors? Or is it that they are only available in the UK from Lexus dealers (at much higher prices)?

To give you an idea, I phoned Lexus to get a price for a pair of upper control arms, over £1,100. The pair from Rock were (and these weren't their cheapest) less than £100 including taxes and delivery for the pair. Regardless of what others might say, I knew when the parts arrived they were excellent quality, and three years on still fine. The parts not to buy from Rock are heavy items like brake discs because shipping goes by weight.

Practically every LS430 suffers with the speaker foam breaking up, there are kits available to repair them though. The amplifiers are also prone to failure but you can get them repaired/rebuilt. 

2 hours ago, Jig said:

need a 430 hybrid, if only they made one!

The LS430 is a superb machine but sadly no hybrid. The problem is finding a really good as they're getting long in the tooth now and the later ones are in the higher tax band. Either way you need a decent contingency budget when you buy a used luxury car. If you've not driven an LS430 I'd recommend doing so .

6 hours ago, BigBoomer said:

Huh? The LS430 is ULEZ compliant. Yes, you will get slightly better fuel economy from the Hybrid but will it be enough to cover the difference in purchase price?

Yes, LS430 is compliant.

1 hour ago, granadaman said:

Rock auto,  moog rear trailing with fedex delivery, yes fitted myself, took some elbow to get bolts off but was easy enough

It's so important when ordering from Rock to choose FedEx economy, that way all duty is included, and as you probably discovered, they arrive within a week.

9 hours ago, steve2006 said:

Hi Phil,

Good to see you’re still watching.

Can you remember which pads are on at the moment?
Reason I ask is I have millimetres to spare in the garage getting the Celsior in and the door fully closed, I put a couple of wooden blocks on the floor in front of the tyres to avoid hitting the end wall.

I have to creep very slowly but at such a low speed the brakes are either on or off accompanied with a “ grunching” sound when released and a sudden lurch forward. In other words I can’t touch the blocks smoothly.

After a bit of digging this appears to be a common issue with modern brake pads so I was wondering if another make would make a difference.

The car is till running great with 3 advisory free MOTs since I bought it from you although I did have to spend £16.00 on it last week for a split passenger side wiper blade which by coincidence were also Bosch branded.

Still not clocked up 100K 😀

Good to know she's still performing well! I can't remember which pads were put on, at my age I forget easily! I'm about to order Bosch ones for my Volvo as I've read good things about them. Sorry you had to spend £16, shocking!!

Steve, you know I'm a great fan of Rockauto, Bosch Pads delivered including taxes and shipping £40.

1 hour ago, The Lexus Enthusiast said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374201109993?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338723872&toolid=20006&customid=QgYARDUaAAAALOl58Q6MOoIipjsrAAAAAA

Is this one any good? I think it is definitely an air ride one? Cheers

I've no idea who makes these but I would be very suspicious of an air strut claiming to be OE quality when it costs the same as a spring.  If I were you I'd go for the Arnott ones from Rockauto and choose FedEx economy for shipping, that way vat will be included and you'll receive them within the week. Bear in mind the fronts fit either side but the rears are handed. You can go through the Rockauto process and you'll get the total price at checkout but you'll have the option to cancel, that way you'll know the total cost. I would also trust them for wheel bearings.

19 minutes ago, The Lexus Enthusiast said:

Would love to get all Lexus branded parts but will have to err on the side of reasonableness this time round. Do you think it would be worth seeing if a breaker has a shock absorber off a fairly low mileage car? Would be way cheaper but still an original part. Obviously wouldn't last as long as a brand new one but for the reduced cost could make sense? 

I bought a used air strut for my LS, it cost £200, then another one went.  You may just be chasing your tail with used parts, especially when they take time to replace.

43 minutes ago, messi said:

Well it's not really a Toyota wheel bearing, they dont make them, they just stamp the toyota name on it.

 

Get an skf bearing from rockauto £300 for a bearing from lexus is daylight robbery, get an skf bearing from rockauto, they are around £70, get delivered to uk within 3 days 

I agree. A little bit of digging often shows that what a main dealer is charging for is the same product available for much less because the label or stamp is different. I recently bought an alternator belt and tensioner, genuine Volvo parts, but the tensioner was stamped Dayco. 

Lexus air shocks were about £900 each 3 years ago so probably more now. Arnott are the only aftermarket ones I know of but because they're made differently you would have to buy a pair.  Lexus offered me a set of 4 genuine ones for £2,800 but again, that was some time ago. I see Rockauto do the Arnott ones for £445 each or FSC (don't know who they are) for £390. You've got tax and shipping on that. In the end you're probably better just to go to Lexus for everything, it'll give you peace of mind 

The same colour as one of my previous LS430's, and in my opinion the best colour. The labour you were charged sounds fair to me, especially as the rears would involve removing the rear seats, well at least the base cushions and part of the backs. Did they stop the suspension warning coming on?

1 minute ago, HighlandJohn said:

Hi folks, another question because I'm fairly new to the marque, having come a succession of BMWs [I know, I know..]

My IS250 which I bought in the Spring of this year at 78k miles has the auto box. Not having had a car with auto for at least 4 decades I'm unfamiliar with the service requirements - I just know that. although my BMW e60 530i SE was manual, other owners poo-poo'd the manufacturers claim that it was "Sealed for Life" which presumably meant in the order of 10 years or 100k miles?  

In the past when changing cars, I've always made a point of having the g/box and diff oils changed [engine oil I do myself] so I know what I've got and oil's cheap for what it does.

I'd welcome the Collective's opinion on whether to have these changed, as I've little knowledge of automatics - just that the technology has progressed by leaps & bounds since I last had one.

Apologies for the request, just hoping to get a consensus on whether this is an unnecessary waste of money? 

 

At 78k I would be thinking about a transmission fluid change in the very near future, including the filter. And to be honest I think any oil/fluid that can be changed is never a waste of time so I'd go for it all if you want the car to last. 

Just to clarify, I fitted the coil suspension system to Steve's car above and it really is a simple job. Absolutely nothing complicated about it.  You simply remove the air suspension fuse to stop any warning lights.

40 minutes ago, michael Vercell said:

Hello all, my old LS 400 requires a new radiator. Sadly Lexus UK has ceased manufacture though they have given me the correct part number 16400-50150 . Can anyone help me in finding one , or maybe have one . Thank you Michael. 

Rockauto have them. Shipping shouldn't be too high as it's light.

So how come the Netherlands have yellow on the front?

A useful video here. The joints on the drain pipes can become disconnected.

15 minutes ago, deelcee said:

I've rodded the sunroof drain holes and they seem fine so I've either left the .window. slightly open or the leak is somewhere else

My main worry is the damage it's done to the electrics as the airbag warning light has come on and the hazards are on even when the ignition is turned off! I've disconnected the battery overnight and when reconnecting it takes about 2hrs for the hazards to start again..hopefully it. Will eventually dry out..I'll see how long it takes tomorrow if I do the same 🤞unfortunately the airbag light it on permanently

I guess you've checked scuttle trays etc? Also if rain isn't forecast leave all windows open (I'm sure you've thought of that already) as the damp and warm sun will cause loads of condensation.  Hopefully it'll dry out as mine did and the airbag light can be reset. 

When I had my first LS400 the alarm went off in the early hours one day, the car was soaked inside.  It turned out to be the sunroof drain holes. It played havoc with the electrics but after three day and getting it as dry as I could all returned to normal.

9 minutes ago, dutchie01 said:

Interesting philosophical question. Who will we send to planet B ?

This could be a new thread but I suggest for starters Tony Blair, Bill Gates, Greta Thunderbag, and just for fun Emma Thompson!

3 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

I sold all my cars too cheaply!

Yes, my mum always said buying and selling were totally different things, how right she was!

And there we have it again from the biased BBC, "the longest September heatwave on record" and of course, they had to mention climate changezzzzzzzz

Mine will forever be this. Mine was the same colour and model, a 1969 Chevy Malibu with around 35k on the clock, plus, right hand drive!

1 hour ago, Linas.P said:

And that is fair enough - when we talking about time period of BILLION years, I think it needs to be accepted that these are just current understanding. And that is key point - our understanding is constantly being updated. When I was in school the consensus was that people have roamed the earth for ~200,000 years. Then we have found remains which were carbon dated 300,000 years... and by now the working theory is ~400,000-2,000,000.

I think this is more or less true for earth age, but what is important here is that earth is AT LEAST billions years old, whenever it is 4.5 or 5.3 or 3.5 billion in grand scheme of things it does not matter when somebody cherry picks 150 years old temperature records and tries not only to draw conclusions from that, but as well decides on policy and forces other people to follow it. I am sorry, but current "climate emergency" has about the same level of scientific proof as most of religions. And it is not far from the truth - many climate activists and their organisations have religious sect like structures and belief system. Even if somebody supports them and thinks we need to do more to reduce our contribution to climate change, it is still undeniable that climate activists do not follow science, but rather their own "belief system".

And that is precisely my point - we looking at the tiny period. Even the ice drilling is just tiny bit of story, because consensus is that earth was completely free of ice ~115,000 years ago. So you one obviously can't use ice core modelling before that period! That is why so ridiculous when some potato-head so called "scientist" says that "this was hottest year for probably 120,000 years". Like yeah sure - 120,000 years ago earth was completely free of ice and tundra had tropical climate, yet somehow it was apparently colder. Last time I checked we still have ice in both poles and we still have permafrost in vast areas.

This does not look very tropical to me:

Yet if you google "siberia" the first link is https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/climate-concerns-siberia-experiences-record-breaking-heat-n1216351 The "record breaking 26C". Again to your point - record breaking since when? And why do we hate people in Siberia so much... I much rather have tropical weather in tundra than 2 miles deep ice cap over UK.

It's a shame someone has mentioned wearing a thong before I have lunch! And of course you're spot on when you say "since when" The constant narrative is, "since records began" As you say, we're only looking at about 140 years of records because the "scientists" say that's when more reliable records began. 

6 hours ago, Linas.P said:

My PC drives me mad, I have little weather widget at the bottom and it used to say just temperature, then they improved it to give warnings like "rain is coming", "high wind" etc. sometimes quite useful... Now it is outright propaganda, every bloody day is record high! Not joking - was sitting at home on rainy Saturday day in July, 22 degrees, windy, had to close window in the room as it was outright cold in the morning, what the widget says "RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE!" 22C in bright red with red exclamation mark (or maybe it is rea thermometer)... I am sorry, but even in my short little lifetime I have seen hotter Julys! And fair enough if it would be some generic location, I know it was hot in Spain that day, but no it is my location, my temperature and it is record high! What?!

As well now BBC shows temperatures between 10-12C as yellow, 13-14C already is kind of amber and it is nearly red by the time it gets to 21-24C. No! I am sorry, but 24C is just comfortable normal temperature in spring and autumn and it is outright disappointing in summer. I guess nice if you sitting in the office, but not a day to go to the beach for sure! I would say ~28C is what normal summer is like, but I don't want to see any amber until it hits at least 30C, and any red before it is 40C. And I have no issue calling hot day a hot day and showing it as red, last summer for example was very hot when we had all the fires near London, even houses burned. As it happens I was in the Egypt at the time and it gain was kind of disappointing, because when we left the Heathrow it was 38C, when we landed in Sharm it was 42C, I even joked that there is no point going in Egypt anymore when we have such temps in UK. Cool - show such days as red! And indeed it was hottest day since record began in 1884 or something like that. But 21C as redish-amber in the summer?! What is that?

And here is another thing - record high since 1884 (maybe different date, but the point is - few 100 years at best)... Sorry, but that is just trivial, even our race which is just a tine dot in the timeline has existed depending on the study for 300,000 -2,000,000 years. Why we care about temperature record since 150 years ago? It is almost like saying "you are smartest and most beautiful lady named Karen I have met in last 15 minutes!"

Here is nice graph - age of the earth and then there are "hominins" - just a dot! I am pretty sure they could not make it smaller in this resolution, but even single pixel is probably exaggerating it! And we think that 150 year old record means something!

As much as I would dispute any attempt to suggest the age of the earth because no one really knows, I absolutely agree this climate thing is propaganda. Propaganda is used to control the masses, but for what purpose? Perhaps secret discussions at the WEF meetings may reveal something. A certain unpleasant person from the 30's and 40's once said "a lie told once remains a lie, a lie told a thousand times becomes truth"  It's also interesting to see (I think it was the Express) saying the Greek fires were arson, apparently there's proof! Talking of propaganda, why is it that the mainstream media never want to talk to scientists with opposing views on climate, they just don't.