pgls400

Just having a clean this morning, and while extracing dirt from the drivers footwell, i noticed under the dash, next to the diagnostics port, was a black knob, which seems to turn, but doesnt appear to do anything. What is this and what does it do? Hope all are well. Phil.

To add a little more to that point, Upon doing a little research, i have discovered that it looks like the rear jacking points (not the rail on the edge of the sill, but the flat area in front of the rear wheel arches), never had any underseal applied to them, so some surface rust is to be expected. Many garages dont take that much care and attention when jacking up your motor. If in doubt, apply some Waxoyl, Dinitrol or similar. Given the cost and hassle of having such problems fixed, its better to be on the safe side. Hope all are well. Phil.

I had the same. Upon looking at my jacking points, even though i had none on the front, i did have a little surface stuff on the rear. I applied Kurust, and once that had turned blue and gone off, i rubbed off the rust, and then applied Kurust again just to make sure i had got everything. I then put Underseal over the area, and once dry, a layer of Waxoyl on top to keep the Underseal from drying out and lifting or splitting. Every time i jack up any car i have ever owned, i always inspect the area afterwards, and if needed, just give it a little dab with some underseal, just to be on the safe side. Phil.

Hi all, Upon inspection of the two additional keys i have for the car, they both appear to be remote keys. I didnt think they were at first as there wasnt any buttons on the flat areas of the key however, even though the button is missing on both of em, there is a button on the edge of each key, but the plastic is broken on both keys. Would this indicate which alarm system i have?, and therefore which replacement keys i would need? Phil.

Congrats on your purchase. The only way to get rid of em is to get one of those smart repair guys to come round, and give it a mop. Not something you want to try if you havent done it before. Phil.

I forgot this part, But lets not forget that three quarters of the price we pay our petrol is TAX. Why? This level of taxation can NEVER be justified, and with a bit of luck this whole charade will make the whole global warming, green living nonsense a dirty word amongst joe public, and this government will have to find something else to use. Come back maggie, all is forgiven. Phil.

Tried doing a bit of research on this after having read through this post, and from what i can make out, it appears to be true. So apart from lying to the public regarding so called 'climate change', which is nothing more than an attempt at social engineering gone mad!!!!, and apart from driving around on the worst roads in Europe, lied to about oil reserves (which, NOT as this government would have you believe, are not going to run out for at least eight hundred years), we are now all going to get shafted yet again, but our glorious left wing idiots that joe public were foolish enough to elect to office. No doubt this is intended to back up their climate change lie while at the same time propping up the 2bn per year cost of the asylum bill? Its great here in the UK!!!!! Why of Why doesnt someone do something about this? Anywhere else in the world, there would be outrage to such an extent that any government would steer well clear from such an idea, and yet here, they get away with it. Our apethy is our own worst enemy. A recent example of this was recently on TV. You may have all seen a recent tv commercial which was done in the style of an old childrens TV programme. This spoke of the seas rising, everything dying, and generally the sky falling in on our heads. The European commission forced the British government to ban the ad from TV because the scientific community went mad, explaining that there is not a shread of evidence to support any of it. If anything, there is a lot of evidence to support that its nothing to do with us at all. This government has forgotten one very basic, but massive fundamental aspect of the free world. And that is society creates ITSELF, and you cannot create society. Hope all are well. Phil.

Cheers for the info people. Will have a look tommorow and let you know how i get on. Hopefully its just those spring clips!!! Phil.

I agree with you. These cars are just too good to scrap, and if looked after, will go on and on and on. And i agree, just because various left wing aspects of our ridiculous government are using global warming (the biggest lie ever bestowed upon joe public) as a means of social engineering, why should they have the final bloody say in everything that we do, think, eat, drive, etc. Probably why that new tv advertisment was banned recently, the one that was done in the style of a childrens television programme, designed to highlight us to the DANGERS of global warming. The scientific community were up in arms, and if anything, there is a ton of evidence that says that IF global warming is happening, its nothing to do with us. Lets put it into perspective. The UK is responsible for around 2% of all global Co2 emitted, and of that roughly 80 percent DOES NOT COME FROM VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. These figuires were current at the end of last year. Hopefully as a result of all this nonsense, the media frenzy that exists regarding this subject will mean that the whole issue becomes a dirty word to the public, and governments, the media and others will come to their senses and worry about things that matter instead of lying to people to control the way they live. Then we might not be out of pocket fixing things that really dont need fixing, if only to comply with some whitehall commons paper designed to keep ministers in underworked and very overpaid jobs!!! Also, it could also be one of the reasons, that used cars sales are increasing at a huge rate, more than before. Maybe a scrappage scheme for politicians and left wing think tanks is in order? Hope all are well Regards, Phil

Well, i think i was worrying about nothing. Just had her in for an MOT, at a local garage, (NOT QUICK FIT!!!!!), and it passed, with no advisorys. I was relieved as i havent even had the wheels off of it yet. He did tell me that the ball joints are showing some signs of wear, but not enough to justify an advisory. One thing that did happen though was, this morning the brake warning light came on (the one on the right hand side of the display), and it turned out i had blown a brake light bulb. After looking in the book and wondering how the hell you get into the back of the light, it had started to work again, this time though the warning light on the right had been replaced by the one on the lower left hand side. According to the manual this means the pads are nearing their minimum wear, but how can this be as the pads i have on it are nearly new. ANy thoughts anyone? I hope this isnt the start of an electrical gremlim!!! Phil.

Hallo mate, If it is that, is it a sod to fix? or expensive? Phil.

Hi all, Have only had the beast for a couple of weeks, and have been all over the car and have only needed a new set of leads, and a bloody good clean. I also need a couple of new cat to downpipe gaskets, as i thought my exhaust was blowing, but upon closer inspection, the gaskets are dead. A temporary fix with some gun gum solved that one. Now it just purrs!!!!! I do have one thing that's worrying me. As the title suggests, i do have a clunk with i hit the brakes hard, but not under smooth breaking. Is this a brake problem of a bush problem. Recently (when i was applying the gun gum to the holes left by the dead exhaust gaskets), i had the car jacked up on the nearside, and checked that wheel, and there were no visible signs of movement, but i havent checked the off side. Any thoughts anyone? Regards, Phil.

Hi mate, In terms of oil, you want to put the best you can afford in it. Preferebly something thats Esther based oil. This is not the kind of stuff youll pick up at Halfrauds. Opieoils sell all this stuff. When Castrol made Magnatec, i think they were trying to re create what Hydrogen Esthers do, in a cheaper oil, and that is to remove ALL metallic friction at all temps. I dont know anything about how good Magnatec actually is, but i think with oil, you really do get what you pay for. Just please AVOID these cheap makes that a lot of factors sell for about 10 quid for five litres, this stuff is not going to give any kind of decent protection. Good makes to look out for are people like Mobil, Fuchs, Motul, Redline, and of coarse Castrol. A car like this deserves the best. You give it that and it will last as long as you want it to. On the cleaning side, a very old technique for cleaning out that i used to use is to first get rid of your existing oil, and replace using some cheap stuff. Dont worry as i wouldnt drive it with the cheap stuff in it. Then when the new, Cheap oil is in the engine, i would add about half a litre to one litre of ATF fluid to the oil, and let the engine idle for approx 15-30 mins. Just let it idle though, DO NOT REV IT. Then drop out that oil, and i garuantee when you do it will be as black as night. This works because ATF fluid has a very high level of detergent in it. So youve then emptied out all the crap (if any) from your engine, then get some more cheap oil, and refill again, just to make sure you get all the remaining ATF out, and then simply drop off the filter, replace with the new one, then refill with the best oil you can afford. I know it sounds very long winded, and you certainly wouldnt need to do it ever time you change the oil, but in my experiance, it really does work wonders. Or if you wanted an easier soloution, still buy the best oil you can afford, but just chuck a bottle of Wynns engine flush in your oil and drive around for about a week before changing it, again that will work well also. Regards, Phil

Actually, The blow is cominmg from somewhere under the front of the car, and not the rear. Anyone ever had anything like this? Phil.

Hi all, I think mine must be corroded, but i havent had a chance to get underneath yet and have a look. Ive only had her 3 weeks, and it was blowing like a bugger when i got her, but also it was running on 7 cylinders instead of eight, and i had to drive her back from Birmingham like that, so im hoping its just a bit of light rot, and nothing that cant be plugged with a bit of gun gum. Phil.

Hallo people, This is a question that prob been asked a million times before, and is on here somewhere. but i cant be bothered to look. What oil should i be using in my 93 LS400? Normally i have always got all my oils from www.opieoils.co.uk. They have a far superior range of oils, oils which you wont find in places like Halfrauds (sorry Halfords), and are cheap. And again, Normally always used 10W-40. However, looking in my owners manual, there is no mention of the stuff. Any advice would be appreciated. Hope all are well. Regards Phil.

HI all, If anyone has the following for 1993 LS400, i would really be interested!!!!! I need: Set of HT leads (cant justify the price of a new set, at the mo, that will come later) Pair of Bonnet struts Set of Dark Grey Interior Mats any spare Keys/Remote/Blanks Cheers Phil.

Hi People, Cheers for that. Dont really know an auwfull lot about the lex, as i havent had her for very long, but my theory regarding the underseal is that, over time the factory underseal hardens, and can list and then you end up with pockets of moisture, then the dreaded tinworm as a result. However, i suppose we are talking about a Lex here. Cheers for the info people. Hope all are well. Phil.

Hi All, After just having only had the beast for roughly two weeks, like all previous cars, i will set about re-undersealing the car. Normally just checking the underside for any loose bits, removing if neccesary and then applying some new underseal over the top of the existing stuff. I have always used Waxoyl, and to date, have never had any prolems, or rust!!!!! Recently though i have been reading, on the internet, an increasing number of very unhappy campers when it comes to waxoyl, suggesting Dinitrol, and there various apps instead. Anyone got any thoughts on this. Anyone had any experiance of Dinitrol? Phil.

Hi, Havent been with the lex for very long, so its just an idea, but maybe yours dont need adjusting. One thing i always found the the rover 827 sterlings were that even when they were adjusted correctly, they could still tap. Could simply mean that your engine needs a couple of good flushes and new oil. I used to use diesel oil as a flush and that used to work wonders. Like i said, just an idea. Hope you get it sorted. Phil.

Hallo mate, Good idea. I fished out the broken third key i have, and althought it isnt a remote key, it did unlock the switch between the fuel flap release and the boot release, and now i can open the boot from inside the car. My car does appear to have remote locking. There is a sensor on the right hand side of the dash and there is a switch on the left hand side, just under the steering wheel which gives me the ability to turn the remote on or off. Currently its set to off. How easy is it to get a replacement? My car of choice before this one was always the rover 800 sterling, and if you lost or broke the remote on one of those, getting a replacement was one thing, then getting it to talk to the car was something else. Will it be the same with my beloved lex? Also, given that at present i am only locking the car with the key, and not the remote, does it mean that the alarm/immobiliser is not working to its full effectiveness? Many thanks for all your advice thus far, much appreciated. Hope all are well Regards, Phil.

should be a lever under the stearing wheel that opens the boot and petrol flap is on mine. I have new remotes for mine and it still doesnt work so its bit of a minefield Hold the boot release button down for a few secs it should open then ( its to stop you opening the boot by accident) Hallo mate, Thanks for getting in touch. Holding the release lever down for a few seconds doesnt seem to work either. In between the boot release switch and the fuel flap switch (which works fine) is what looks like some kind of lock, which doesnt seem to unlock with the keys that i have. Does this mean that ill have to go cap in hand to lexus, and pass out when they give me the bill??? Lol. Phil

Hi all, Following on from my previous post, after having had the beast for a week or so, i wonder about remote locking. The car came with two keys, and a third which was broken, but none with remote feature, as a result i cant open the boot from inside the car. Forgive this as its a question that probrably been asked a thousand time before me, and im new to the ls400, but how much will it cost be to get remote keys, and were do i get em from? Regards, Phil. Hope all are well.

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 150% all the way with you on that mate. Just the best car i have ever owned, and im suprised that i can say that after only a week. Thought id get some pics up. Havent had a chance to give some wax protection yet, as a result theres quite a bit of cob webbing on the paintwork in places, but no tinworm that i can see. Will also be re undersealing the car as well, i will either use Waxoyl or Dinitrol, not sure yet. The quality of the photos isnt much as i had to use my phone.

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 pgls400, Congratulations on your purchase - you are now in very good company, with some extremely knowledgeable people on here. Do not fret! I'd suggest that if you have a tracking problem, the leads (and probably plugs) will have been changed already for some pattern ones and perhaps without quite the requisite care, so I'd get on to it ASAP. Please do check out the illustrated tutorials on lexls.com which you will find very helpful. And if you can do the work yourself, then do. When replacing plugs and leads, do use genuine leads and Denso Iridium plugs as per the original (regardless of what anyone tells you). My car had what I believe were the original plugs when I bought it at just under 100k miles - and they weren't eroded at all. (I changed them anyway as a precaution, but could probably have got away with it). I gave the old ones to a friend who tried them in his Ford Granada - and he was staggered at the improvement in performance! Let us know what happens... Thanks for the welcome mate, I certainly get the impression, bearing in mind i havent been on the site for very long, that this place is very freindly, and there is a load of very usefull info. Certainly the best car i have ever owned. I have always had large cars, but for reasons i cant recall, always overlooked the LS400. I wish i hadnt mate. Utterly superb!!!!! Regards, Phil.http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/style_images/1/folder_post_icons/icon1.gif