Stupot

Indeed Miq... I've also read about the increase in road noise with a new windscreen... I stressed the cabin is quiet and I want it to stay that way, so fingers crossed! Stu

Hi Chaps Thanks for your replies. Wow... £750 with Autoglass on insurance... I guess it did have the rain sensor. Autoglass quoted me £430 but I don't have rain sensors... but I do worry at just how much these rip off companies add on when it's an insurance job!! We are all paying for the execs at the top of these companies to get richer and richer while they send out low paid workers to do the work... it stinks. Ermmm... off topic Benfur... thanks for that info, useful and seems to concur with what another local independent windscreen fitter has told me. Not only that... his quote is £186 all in... now that's my kind of language :winky: . He's coming on Monday to do the job, I'll let you know how it goes. I stressed to him that I did not want any YTS Quick Fit merchants doing the fitting and he assured me he's had 25 years doing windscreens and the job will be sweet! Fingers crossed. Looking forward to crystal clear vision.... when the sun is shining through my current one it certainly shows it's age! B) Stu

Hello All Just had the MOT and it's passed on everything except failing on the crack in the windscreen which I was expecting. My local independent windscreen chap came with a replacement which was going to be £246 all in, VAT and fitting (which I was pretty happy with). But when he offered it up he was worried it didn't look right. In his book he has only two options, one for models to 1994 then one to fit 94-2000. I told him there was a change in body with the Mk4 and he can't seem to find it. I've called round and other places only have the two options as well. So my question is, are the Mk3 and Mk4 windscreens the same? He did not spend long offering up before he headed off to get more info. I can't get the job done on insurance by the way as I'm third party only. Loving my car by the way... had it 5 months now and I'm still grinning from ear to ear when I'm driving! Stu

I think you will be very lucky to get a good one for that budget. My friend is currently looking to buy an LS400 and even the £1000 ones he has looked at have been poor examples. I'm sure you can get one for that money (circa £500), but you may well be buying trouble that will cost you more in the near future. Looking at what's been available, I think you might get a good one for £1500 plus at the moment as prices do seem to have fallen since the pump prices have reached new highs. Stu

Hi Steve http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3984.m570.l1313&_nkw=Genuine+Lexus+Spark+Plugs+SK20R11+Iridium&_sacat=See-All-Categories and http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Genuine-Lexus-Oil-Filter-V8-/170604259439?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27b8ce686f#ht_500wt_922 If the listing has ended, contact them direct as you can pay by paypal and they will send them outside of ebay :winky:

Cheap huh? They arrived today, they are Denso SK20R11 genuine boxed toyota plugs. I thought it was a good deal, they are still available on ebay. The oil filters are on £11 inc postage! I got a couple of those as well. Perhaps Lexus Birmingham are having a clear out? I'm changing the plugs as some people seem to say 30,000, some 60,000 and some 100,000 between changes, but seeing as it's my new baby, thought I'd give my Lex a treat! Stu

Hi All My spark plus were last changed about 40,000 miles ago, so... Lexus Birmingham are selling the genuine iridium spark plugs on ebay. They are selling sets of six, but I contacted them direct and got a set of 8 for £55 which I thought was pretty good. I've changed spark plugs before on older uncomplicated cars and usually lightly grease the threads of the plug with copper grease and watch out not to over tighten on the aluminium!! Other than the above, is there anything unusual to look out for when I change the iridium plugs on my Mk4 LS400? Thanks Stu

Sorry, Ruud, mispelled your name in my previous post. Stew

Hi Rudd My mate is looking for an LS400 and he loves low miles cars so would be very interested in yours. May I ask if you got the heater issue sorted out as my mate is keen super hot heating. What's making you sell? Stu

Hi All My brake warning light came on yesterday and stayed on. To be clear which light we are talking about, I'm refering to the handbrake (parking brake) light AKA low fluid level light and not any of the message warnings that can appear on the trip computer. Anyway, a quick check on this forum revealed many possibilities, some of which could be expensive and onerous and the least troublesome being a rear brake light bulb failure, which in this case, is all it was! It's now fixed and warning light extinguished. :P I'm posting this beacuse I assumed it would be pads etc and had read a few threads here where people removed their wheels, changed pads etc just to discover it was a bulb that had failed!!! The bulb failure had not occured to me because being a MK4 I thought the trip computer would give me a lamp failure message which it did not and the owners handbook makes no reference to bulb failure with this warning light. Had it not been for good old LOC forum I may have gone to a lot of trouble before discovering the culprit! So check the bulbs first guys! Thanks Stu

Hi Having seem my new LS400, my friend is looking to buy one, so PM some details if you are still wanting to sell it. But I hope for you that you have decided to keep it. The fuel price increases are not for LS400's only, every car owner is having to pay a lot more now than they ever have, but personally I feel compensated for the slightly extra I pay on fuel to run my Lex by the sensational drive that makes me grin from ear to ear! Regards Stu

Thanks Scribe, I've PM'd you to get that mechanics details in case I need him. Stu Curious to know where (ish) you are in West Sussex, I'm in Worthing so may be able to offer help if ever needed? Phil Hi Phil I'm in Steyning, literally just across the Downs from you. I'll give you a shout if I'm in need. Many thanks, Stu

Hi. The previous owner of my MKIV LS used http://www.carchrome.co.uk/ via their ebay shop for the bonnet struts. £75 inc postage. He fitted them Sept last year and they are still working well. Regards Stu

Thanks for the very warm welcomes from all you guys, very much appreciated. The LS400 is a thing of beauty, both to look at and drive in and I'm well chuffed. Count me in on a South England Rally, or North England or Scotland for that matter. Any excuse for a drive at the moment :P Stu

PS: I assume you have seen the dark blue 2000 MK IV on Autotrader down your way in Plymouth? It's with a trader at £3699 which is a bit much, but it does have a private plate which you could sell on. Maybe worth checking out. Stu

I started looking mid December and found one start of Feb. I'm in the South East and it felt like all the good ones came up hundreds of miles away. I was prepared to travel as far as was needed but could never get there before they were snapped up due to work etc. Then 'the one' came up just 40 miles away. I had the cash ready and waiting at home so got in their quick before anyone else. Full service history only 3 owners, 95,000 miles, cambelt done, top condition and a private seller. All for £2600. There are quite a few that come up on Autotrader, ebay and gumtree... yours is out there waiting for you, it's only a matter of time... :winky: Good luck. Stu

Hi Skoff I'm a new member as well and just bought a MK IV 1998 LS400. I love it :P I got 30 mpg on a 530 mile run motorways and A roads. Dont' hesitate in getting a good one. You will be able to get a very good one with that budget and still have money to install an LPG system yourself if you wanted (more on that in a minute) I've already been passed details by another helpful member on here of a local (Sussex) ex Lex mechanic. I'm sure there will be a good independent near you. I'm taking the view that I shall be keeping my LS400 until both it and I are old and grey, so I'm going to do the servicing myself and just use a garage for the stuff that's beyond me or just too damn time consuming. I'm not concerned about keeping the stamps up in in the service book now as I plan on keeping it for good. Don't know about the DHP or child seat situation, but my pennyworth on LPG... I looked into this whole issue very long and hard while looking for an LS400, should I buy one with it already installed or have it installed after etc etc. LPG is a BIG topic! I think Bluser has good advice i.e if it's got LPG make sure it's a good system well installed with certs etc etc. The etc etc's led me to decide on just getting a good one without LPG and then consider using Profess in Wales to install a system (£1250) which you know is working, and would be currently garunteed for 3 years. BUT No disrespect to those LS400 owners here who already have LPG... you have probably already had your moneys worth out of your systems and all power to you and was certainly a good move. I just feel the current trend in LPG price (I saw it for 89p a litre last weekend) is worrying... it's certainly not any where near half the price of petrol now. I'd wait until after the next budget. But even if George does leave LPG alone, there is still nothing to stop the oil companies from piling it on... and on! Look what happened to diesel, used to be cheaper, now more expensive than petrol. LPG is a waste product from drilling oil and when we drilled in the North Sea, we had loads of the stuff, now that's coming to an end, we have to import LPG, just like everything else, which tells me the price is going to head north. Add to this that LPG delivers 10 - 20 % less MPG than petrol then there is the possible extra insurance cost (though some don't charge extra yet) and the extra maintenance/service costs. And the fact some one has delved deep into the heart of your Lex... I've decided not to get it installed as I don't think I will recoup my costs for about two years of driving (7000 - 8000 miles a year) I may regret that desicion when I'm in my 10th year of ownership though :winky: All the best with your search Stu

Thanks Scribe, I've PM'd you to get that mechanics details in case I need him. Stu

Hi Guys Thanks for all your replies and good vibes! It's funny about the Rover 75 CDT... myself and my best friend who I have known since before either of us could even drive a car (we are both early 40's now) have often mirrored each other in car purchases much to our wives amusement. He purchased an old Toyota Crown back in the early 90's (when we were in our 20's). The luxury motoring impressed me so much I went out and bought a Mk1 Senator (cheers for your comments Normski... that was a fantastic car, 4 years I had it with no problems at all). Then I got a Camry 2.0 litre and he stepped it up with a Saab 9000, I loved his Saab and I got one as well until we both found out how unreliable they were! Then he got the Camry V6 3.0 litre. I bought a V6 Camry within a month of driving his, lovely car. Then he went old skool and went back to an old 2.5 lire V6 Camry and I thought it was sensible to go for good mpg with a Carina! In case this is getting boring, here's the point. He then went 'sensible' and went for the Rover 75 CDT and was immediately disappointed with the build quality. I test drove if for all of two minutes and I was distinctly underwhelmed. So now I'm the very proud owner of an LS400 and guess what... he's gonna sell the 75 and he's hot for buying an LS400 I can already see that no other car will ever live up to the LS400... I'm planning on keeping it for a looooong time. Regards Stu

Hi Guys I joined this owners club forum a few weeks ago to help research buying an LS400, but I felt a bit of a fraud not actually owning one. Well... now I'm in... all in. Last Wednesday I picked up a Gold LS400 1998 Mk IV with 95,000 miles, 3 previous owners and good service history sold to me by the owner not a trader. This weekend, myself and my wife did a 540 mile round trip to Cornwall in her to see relatives and WOW.... what a ride and avg 30 mpg as well :P It's a simply stunning machine. Out of the previous favourite cars I've owned over the years (92 Camry V6, 83 Senator, 93 Saab 9000 all purchased for less than £1500 each) this is easily the best and most 'expensive' at £2600!!! :winky: . I'm over the moon with it. Worth every penny and the best £2600 i have ever spent! I wanted to thank all you regulars on this board (you know who you are) and non regulars alike as you all, in no small way, played an important part in my decision to go with the LS400 over and above a "sensible" good mpg auto diesel like an Audi or Rover 75 (I joined their owners forum as well and quickly grew tired of reading threads about endless problems with their machines :duh: ),. The knowledge of, shear enthusiam for and loyality to the LS400 is so overwhelmingly impressive it made my decision very easy to reject "sensible" and live the dream. I've long been a Toyoda fanboy but it's nice to step onto the winners podium at last. Anyone want to buy a cheap Carina? Anyway, just thought I would say 'Hi' and I hope to be an active member of this board. Thanks guys, all the best Stuart

Hi Ruud I'm sure you have already checked this, but if not, check the coolant level in the Rad AND the top up reservoir. I had the same problem with another car (not an LS400) and it was just low coolant. It didn't look low in the reservoir so at first thought that was not the problem but when I looked in the rad, it was very low. Topped it up and roaster toaster again. I ran the engine on a steep hill (front high) to get rid of any air blocks. Don't know if the hill trick works, but saw it on a Toyota forum and thought it wouldn't hurt. Stu

Hi Banjo Well done, you got a good deal there with a very clean car. I'm looking to buy an LS400 as well and I saw that one and like you 'felt it was going to be a good one'. I was just not able to get myself to Melton Mowbray quick enough! Really happy that it was sold by a private seller and bought by you, a private buyer. So many around at the moment are for sale by traders. I saw one LS400 sold by a trader on ebay for £2250 just to reappear by another trader who bought it (polished it up) and had it up on ebay for £3999!!! And it sold in a week!!! I just don't trust 'em! Ever since I sold my girlfiends Polo with 110,000 on the clock to a trader, just to see it back on the forecourt 2 weeks later with 70,000 on the clock! That was back in the early 90's mind. It's less easy to get away with this now as you can check the mileage online with the MOT history. I drove 520 miles round trip last week to see one for sale by a trader in Chester. It's on ebay, autotrader, everywhere! It's a Blue MKIV £2999 2 owners and only 91,000 miles (was £3500) Sounds great huh? Well... got there to find the ATF was really dirty (supposed to have had full LEXUS SH), Air bag light on and flashing, Telescopic motor gone on the steering wheel, odd tyres on front wheels one with uneven wear, only 1 key with remote (said two on the advert... apparently they have lost it!) a lot of corrosion on the rear suspensions arms. And that's just the stuff I could spot... you always find more when you get them home! They started knocking money off straight away and by the time I was leaving they had dropped the price to £2500... but the more they dropped the price, the less I wanted it if you know what I mean. It's actually not a bad deal at £2500, but it just didn't all add up to me. I'm not too fussy, a good MKIII or MKIV, but the car is going to have to have that right blend of history, price, honest seller, etc etc. My search continues. I will not be giving up having test driven a few now... I MUST get one :P. I thought my V6 Camry was smooth.... these are another league! Sorry if any traders reading this feel offended... I know there are some good ones out there. :winky: Stupot

Hi Banjo How much did you pay for that one of you don't mind me asking? Looks like a very good one. Regards Stupot

Hi Topher I'm looking to buy an LS400 as well. I wonder if I saw the same car as you? 1998, dark green, trader selling on a country lane location just south of the M25 for £1790? If it's this one, I'd walk away as well, I did. The transmission oil was not just dirty, but also seemed contaminated. On test drive, the accelerator had to be pushed quite far and the revs quite high before the vehicle moved off. This was the first LS400 I'd test driven so this maybe normal (??) but I've had auto boxes on many other cars (Camrys, Senator, Carina) and all moved off as soon as you applied the accelerator. Also there were a host of electrical issue which they claimed were down to a low battery... possibly true, but why not put a new battery in? The boot was also wet (boot seal needed?) and a total lack of service history for the last 40,000 miles. As others have said, plenty of good ones out there if we are patient ;-)All the best, Stupot