Gibbon62

Hello. Check out my advert for my LS460! Thanks. John

Thanks Steve. I will save the sensors of possible or could opt to bypass them. Are those Pirellis XL (extra load) - I think this makes a difference to sidewall stiffness....

Hi Malc. That isn't a bad idea. I find tyre reviews really confusing. So much is based on peoples expectations and what they are replacing. Even the professional tests differ in findings, and then you need to be aware of the date is the test, if the tyre is XL or not and the actual version of the tyre. I will put something out and see what I get back! Cheers. John.

Hi Malc. Oh mate, I have spent countless hours looking at tyre reviews lately and have gone around in circles (pardon the pun). I value comfort and quietness in tyres the most, and the Pirellis seem to have those qualities according to reviews. I guess I won't truly know until they are fitted. I wish tyres were like shoes, where you could try them on before you buy.....

Hello. My brake wear sensor warning popped up the other day. I have decided to replace all the pads and the disks as this is something I have been meaning to do for ages. The disks are grooved and at least one is slightly warped. My question is this. Is there a brake wear sensor on every wheel? Or is one per axle? And...is the sensor the same part number for both front and rear? I have found replacements for £10 each, so not massive money, but don't know how many to buy. I am also getting four shiny new Pirelli P Zeros fitted at the same time, so not a cheap month, but it will be very satisfying to know it is all done. Nothing nicer than seeing your car with new brakes and tyres..... Kind regards. John

Thank you both, I needed talking off a cliff. It is crazy to embark upon such a costly and time consuming project if I don't have any indication of problems. I think your exercise regime suggestions are very helpful and I certainly will do these things. It is good to know that the chances of it stranding me are low - I think that is my biggest fear. Next time I take it in for a service I might ask them to do a visual check for general condition and perhaps the soapy water test, but I am confident that any problems will come apparent due to sagging after being left over night. Thanks again. John

HA! You are right, I am a terrible worrier and I find myself going down all sorts of rabbit holes when I get going. I need therapy! John

Hi Steve, Yes, the Strutmasters seems to be the most popular. I need to start doing some maths to see what the difference will be between replacing all the air struts with reconditioned ones, and perhaps a new compressor, compared to the cost of a coil conversion. If the difference isn't huge, I might stick with air.... The annoying thing is that as it stands I don't have any issues, I just worry that one morning I will come out to a low rider.......I like to know that everything on my car is in tip top shape, even if that means doing things before any issues arise. Thanks for your response! John

Hello. Yes, I hear you. I think the issue is less with the car, and more with my attitude to the car. I like the LS, having graduated from an IS and GS, and I have a very high level of confidence in it generally, it really is just the air suspension that gives me worries. It is an aging system, that especially on UK roads takes a real hammering. I wish there were a way of gaining the confidence I seek but my understanding it that checking on the condition of air struts isn't as easy. It is an aging system though, so is inevitably going to start seeing issues at some point, and I plan to keep the car long term. The only thing I would say is that I believe that the XF40 LS was available both standard and air (at least in the States). I would also say that the Strutmasters conversion is quite popular in the States too. The Americans seem to have much healthier aftermarket for the LS compared to us Brits, but I guess that is because they have many many more LSs on the road then we do, and more of a modding culture. I am going to do some maths, perhaps a good middle ground is to buy reconditioned air struts, sell the used ones on E bay - I see some chap is asking £300 a strut for used, 80,000 mile examples - perhaps wishful thinking but I will keep and eye on the sale. Thanks for your reponse, much appreciated! John

Hello All. I have owned my 09 LS460 for the last year and have not had any problems with it. I have confidence in the car generally but have become slightly obsessive over the air suspension. The car has 80,000 miles on the clock and I cannot see any evidence in the service history that the air struts have ever been replaced. I find myself worrying that it is slightly sagging, or getting the tape measure out to check if it has. I figure that at some point it is going to give up the ghost and create problems so I am considering converting it to traditional springs and shocks, more for piece of mind if nothing else. Has anyone had any experiences with doing such a conversion? Does it ruin the ride? Or could it even improve the ride as new shocks and springs are likely to better than 80,000 mile old air shocks? I could opt for Arnott reconditioned shocks all round, but then I will worry about compressor failure or air leaks.... The plan is to sell the existing shocks as used items on E-bay which should somewhat off set the costs of which ever route I take. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers John

Hi Pete. Just a quick update. I took the wheels off to take a look, thought it may be useful to others to post the pictures. I can see that the bushings are in fact worn - if you zoom in you can see that the rubber is chewed up. I have sent the pictures over to Carl at Osaka for an opinion. I am still hoping I can simply replace the bushings, and not the entire arm. I will let you know the outcome. Cheers. John

Braver and more mechanically minded then I am......what a legend.

Hi Pete. I just called them and spoke to Carl. He confirmed that changing them on an air suspension car is more of a faff then on a standard suspension car, but didn't seem to think the calibration would be a huge issue. They don't see many 460s so he is going to do some digging for me. Nice chap, really helpful and gave me good vibes. We will see what the outcome is. I am sure I can save some money over the £3k Lexus quote, but it may still cost a penny or two. I really need to get the wheels off and get some "ground truth".

Hi Pete. I just called them and spoke to Carl. He confirmed that changing them on an air suspension car is more of a faff then on a standard suspension car, but didn't seem to think the calibration would be a huge issue. They don't see many 460s so he is going to do some digging for me. Nice chap, really helpful and gave me good vibes. We will see what the outcome is. I am sure I can save some money over the £3k Lexus quote, but it may still cost a penny or two. I really need to get the wheels off and get some "ground truth".

Hi Pete, I saw them when I googled "Toyota independents near me" but wasn't sure what the score was. I will give them a call and let you know the outcome. Cheers. John.

Thanks Mark. Hmm, that would make sense. These are complicated cars. I am tempted when the time comes to take a punt on getting them changed at a local garage and see how they get on, but in the knowledge that if it is all messed up when they have finished I might need to swallow my pride and stubbornness and take it to the main dealer who have the wizardry to fix it. It is a gamble that might work out, or might not. And maybe a fellow forum user will pop up with a garage who has the know how to do it properly. I don't mind spending money on keeping a nice car, but I hate wasting it.

Hello Mark and Malc. I think Mark may have hit on the issue, its the air suspension that perhaps creates the need for calibration. In fact now I recall my conversation with the local indie he did ask if it has the air suspension and at that point he mentioned the calibration issue so it would make sense. I will call around a few places, what I need is a company understands such things, and not just your average garage. Right now the car rides fine, and I wont be doing many miles, so I need to get the wheels off and take a look for myself, if they are slightly worn I can live with it for now, but if they are falling apart I will need to act soon. And then it raises the questions about all the other arms and bushing......

Hi Steve, I see them. I could buy them and get someone to replace them, I was just worried about the calibration issue. Will they need calibrating and is this a faff? The last thing I want to do is replace them and somehow make the car worse.......and then have to take it to Lexus, tail between my legs, to get them to calibrate...... Cheers! John

Hi Mark. I saw this video too, which is why I am surprised the Lexus independent was so reluctant to get involved. We need people to be a bit creative if we are going to keep these cars on the road. I have a couple of decent chaps near me so will see what they say. I think people get nervous because the LS is a fairly complex beast.

Hi Malc, thanks for the reply. No, clean bill of health on the MOT in August, no advisories. In fact it has passed all its MOTs since the dawn of time. Yes, it could be over zealousness on the part of the technician. What I haven't done yet is actually take the wheels off and have a good look - once you can see a problem you can quantify a problem. I really don't mind sinking a couple of grand in to this car to keep her in good shape, I live by the "expensive new, expensive used" ethos and am planning a few preventative maintenance items such as a gearbox oil change - but 3 grand on what is effectively a rubber doughnut feels crazy to me. Thanks again.

Hello All. Sorry if my topic is going to prompt a universal groan across the forum, but I am going to raise the perennial control arm issue again. After progressing through the IS and the GS I recently bought a used LS460 privately - 2009 and with 76K on the clock. Generally the car is in really good condition, the interior is immaculate and apart from needing a light correction the paint is in good shape too. The car has spent it its life in the dealer network and back in June it had a Visual Safety Report and this identified an advisory that was "NSF and OSF upper arm bushes torn" - quoting a £2800 repair. The car drives fine, but I plan on keeping it a good few years so want to get it sorted at some point. I know that this is a fairly common issue and there are more cost effective solutions. I called a local Bristol independent Lexus/Toyota specialist and they told me that would not do the work as previously they had issues with calibrating and suggested that the main dealer would be the best option. This threw me a bit. Is this calibration issue a real problem? The internet is awash with people replacing the bushings in their shed for £20 and they don't seem to mention calibration. I am happy to spend decent money getting it sorted, does any one have any experience of getting these done in the Bristol area? Is a indie suspension the best place to go? ANY help would be appreciated. Thanks. John

Hi Mate, It has to be quiet, very quiet. And plenty of toys, massaging seats, televisions etc. And safety is important, you need to feel protected. And if you didnt have to drive, a fully reclining seat would be great, how great would it be to be able to lie flat on a long journey. And, to really top it off, your autonomous car should have the option to let the person drive, I cant see anyone at least not want the option to drive if it suits their mood. Sounds like a fun project, good luck.

Hello all. I know you must get a few of these questions, but I figure that being owners, you are the best people to ask. Are Lexus's really as reliable as legend has it? I am thinking of upgrading from a 99 BMW 525 with 140,000 on the clock to a 2001 LS430 with around 80-100,000 miles. Its not that the BM has been hugely unreliable, but there is usually something that costs money cropping up every couple months. I just want to have complete confidence in a car. You read tales of people only ever having to change bulbs in 150,000 miles, that sounds like paradise to me. The LS430 is everything I appreciate in a car, big, quiet, refined and well built. Also, realistically what sort of MPG can I expect, I do around 30% Town Driving, 40% A road Driving and 30% Motorway, I currently get about 27 mpg. Can I expect much worse? And....before I go, are there many decent independent Lexus mechanics around? Or do you even need a Lexus specialist for servicing? Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.