Parrot of Doom

Jack that corner up, parking brake on and front wheels chocked, take the wheel in your hands by the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions, and see if there's any play. Do the same for 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock. There should be no movement. If the bearing has gone you should only need to replace that. And a bearing shouldn't really cost a lot of money - £300 sounds like a ripoff.

Ah, that makes sense, thankyou. I have the headphones, they're sliding around in a tray in the back...

£900 isn't enough to guarantee a good installation.

Ah, I'd never have found it! I just presumed it was under the driver's seat from the front. Next question, there are what look like 4 LEDs on each B-pillar, facing the rear seats. Are they lights?

I didn't even know mine had these until I realised the headrests were covered with elasticated cloth (presumably for security). Anyway, I don't appear to have a DVD player for them, instead, behind the seat, are three phono sockets (red, yellow, white). My guess is that you plug whatever device you want into there, and away you go. Portable DVD player, game console, etc. Not that I'll ever use them (a modern tablet computer is far more useful) but is this likely to be an aftermarket installation? The screens are Lexus branded and my car is the SE-L variant.

I had a BRC system fitted to my 98 LS. The LPG detractors don't seem to know what they're talking about. A professionally-installed good quality LPG system is entirely trouble-free and will, in the long run, save you a lot of money. And I sold mine to upgrade to the RX in under 24 hours, it practically drove itself off the shelf. I was getting the equivalent of about 45mpg on the motorway. Power was about 10% less (negligible on a powerful car like the LS) and the throttle response was slightly less smooth from idle. That's about it. A powerful, silky-smooth V8 that costs as much as a diesel to run? Why not.

Also buy new spring bumpers and any absorption devices. Will reduce noise in the cabin. Have you checked engine and transmission mounts? These things also wear slowly.

Click the 3 dots button, Then more, then send contacts, star all contacts, select all contacts. Get your rx waiting to receive, then click send single. Choose the rx in the bluetooth devices list and off it will go.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.medieval.blueftp&hl=en_GB

Water on it's own doesn't necessarily damage electronics; once things have been properly dried and cleaned, they will normally come back to life. ECUs can be repaired for a fraction of the cost to replace. Being a new owner, I'm fairly ignorant of the RX. But I'll tell you about one problem common to a car I owned a few years back, A W210 E-Class Mercedes. Although it didn't happen on mine, a faulty seal on the automatic gearbox connector allowed gearbox oil up a multicore cable and into the gearbox ECU, causing all kinds of havoc. The Mercedes solution was to replace the lot at significant cost. The DIY solution was simply to wash the gearbox ECU with alcohol, replace the faulty seal, reinstall the components and enjoy thousands of miles more of normal driving. All for the cost of a couple of hours with a few spanners and a new rubber seal or two. Food for thought.

Well I've only done just over 100 miles in her so I can't offer much of a report, but first impressions: What's better on the RX: 1) The headlamps are a million times better than the HIDs on the LS. They have to be seen to be believed. Also, they turn with the steering. 2) The steering and seat motors are much quieter. 3) The doors "clump" better than the LS, which always "clouted" on mine. 4) The CVT transmission offers much, much smoother acceleration 5) Stereo and satnav are much better, although oddly enough, medium wave seems quite "dull". The CD player is a league above the LS, which always sounded harsh to my ears. 6) Surprisingly, for a 2 tonne car, it's bloody quick - it could easily keep up with the LS. I think I've already embarrassed a few diesel "faster than a Ferrari" Audis... 7) The switchgear around the steering column is much, much nicer than the LS. 8) Fuel economy - I'm getting mid 30s on the motorway. That's a smaller engine with similar performance in a brick-shaped body. Impressive, although the electric gubbins are a big factor. 9) Power boot. Opens and shuts from the key, lovely feature. 10) Folding door mirrors although sadly, not automatic when locking. 11) No external telescopic aerial. 12) Bluetooth and stuff (although not bluetooth audio and no aux input) 13) Better steering, more feedback 14) It's nice that the engine turns off as you approach the lights. And as you cruise around car parks. And when you start it early in the morning, it doesn't wake the neighbours - it just moves off, silently. That's a lovely feeling. What's better on the LS: 1) The LS seats have more leg support and that heavily sprung base is very much missed on the RX. 2) The 4.0 engine is smoother and nicer to the ear than the 3.3 on the RX 3) I miss the coin tray near the ignition barrel (RX has a foldout cupholder there). 4) Audio system and satnav are better integrated 5) Spare wheel is more easily accessible (spare on the RX is under the car) 6) Better ride quality - the RX seems to bob around a little bit more than the LS, which just ploughs through bumps in the road. 7) Better brakes - the RX has regenerative braking and at least once I've had to apply more braking force than normal as it chooses between charging the battery and stopping the wheels. The LS is just "push pedal = slow down". 8) Smoother engine/transmission at low speeds - you can feel the RX's engine turn on and off sometimes, although perhaps mine would benefit from new engine mounts. Not a big deal. The RX is definitely a much more sophisticated and refined car, but it has the benefit of being much newer. I like the higher driving position. The satnav system is hugely complicated though and will take me a long time to learn. It also has voice commands, but I doubt that'll work well. Really though, what I'm most looking forward to is enjoying this marque's reliability. That's very important to someone who has to get up at all kinds of strange hours to go to work.

I think it's hilarious how some insurers still weight insurance on these old cars. "They cost £50,000 and are therefore expensive to insure" is a sentence that's long been inapplicable to the LS400. Interestingly, the insurance on my 2005 RX400h SE-l is over £300 less than it was on my 1998 LS400. Go figure.

I'm self-employed, always have been. I take the view that it's sometimes better to make not a lot of profit on a job, if the chances are that the person offering that job is going to come back for more. Sometimes you take a hit and never see them again, other times they're over the moon with what they receive and a new relationship is formed. For instance, the other week I finished a job and then drove my [regular] client miles out of my way to the railway station that would get them back to London. It added at least 30 minutes to an already very long day, but I know the favour will be reciprocated at some point down the line. Good business relationships are easily formed when both parties can make compromises.

Ask an innocent question get a pair of knickers well and truly twisted. The car is sold, so you can now have that coke and a smile. I don't like being called a liar.

Hello, I'm also a new owner of a 2005 RX400h SE-l, formerly an LS400 owner. I've attached a pic. All seems well, but I have a few questions. Firstly, what's the best way to get an aux input or bluetooth audio from my Android phone into the stereo? Obviously I want to retain bluetooth call functionality and satnav voice interruptions, etc. Secondly, it has the Mark Levinson stereo but medium wave (I listen to 5 Live a lot) seems awfully dull - is there a way to boost treble on MW but not on FM or CD? Thirdly, er...there is no thirdly actually. The car seems to be bloody brilliant. PS the wonky headlamp is going to be fixed next week. PPS I've seen a few posts about getting your phone's contacts list into the car's memory. I managed it very easily with an Android app called "bluetooth file transfer". Took about a minute.

If you are suggesting I started this topic to help sell my car by using this forum then you are mistaken, and I shall thank you not to make any further such accusations.

I don't believe in trying to hide faults, there's nothing worse than buying something from someone only to discover that there's a problem. I'd rather just be honest and accept a loss, my conscience is more important than a few quid in the bank. Anyone turning up and trying those "offer you less" tactics will go home disappointed. I know the car's value.

I'd stick to what Lexus say. They know what their car is designed to handle, if they say don't tow a particular weight then....don't tow it. Also, I should think that if you had an accident while towing and the weight of both vehicles was a factor, you might find yourself in a lot of trouble.

I can't think of anyone who makes large estate cars in the same vein as the old E-class Merc, or the Volvo 940. Most estates these days are "lifestyle" estates, and Lexus make an IS version of that.

Well I like the idea of a hybrid, the whole "silent at low speeds" thing interests me a lot. Plus it's a fast, powerful 4x4 that is pretty frugal on fuel. If you look at other 4x4's, for a bit of ooomf like the LS400 you need to get a 5 litre engine, and that drinks fuel like nobody's business. If you get an economical diesel they're all pretty slow and of course sound like tractors. It might be possible to convert the RX to run on LPG too, but for now petrol will be fine. The one I'm looking at is £12,000, expensive for the year but it's from a dealer and to be honest I know they won't mess me around if it has any problems. Not that I'm expecting any.

Right, I'm probably going to buy an 05 RX400h soon, so there's a need to get rid of the LS. Lexus offered me £500 which, for an LPG-converted '98, I think is a bit low. I would be happy with £1,200 or thereabouts (it has no real service history in the last 3 years and has a bit of rust here and there). It's got about 183,000 on the clock, the LPG system is flawless. It's not a mint car but it isn't the worst, and I've spent a fair bit replacing worn suspension components. I'm just a bit bored with it and fancy something different, plus it will need a cambelt change soon. Should I take the £500 and move on, or would I be better holding onto the LS (the insurance expires in just over a fortnight) to attempt a quick sale? Also, oddly enough, the RX400h is massively cheaper to insure.

Comparing engine oil to gearbox oil is not relevant, comparing and engine to a gearbox is not relevant. There are many intricate differences that will influence and affect oil performance and degradation. Engine oil has to put up with massive sheer forces, chemical attack, massive heat and carbon buildup from the combustion process. Gearbox oil has moderate sheer stress in comparison and moderate heat. Therefore they are composed entirely differently. If you aren't experiencing any problems LEAVE IT ALONE! A very experienced automatic transmission specialist i know recommends you change the fluid ONLY if you know there is a problem or you have DOCUMENTED PROOF that it has been done regularly in the past. It is COMMON to see an auto gearbox fail only a few miles after having some nice new fluid in. Your experienced specialist would no doubt hold a different opinion if anyone gave the same advice when it came to engine oil. I simply do not understand why on every other aspect of a vehicle, people recommend periodic fluid changes, but when it comes to transmission fluid, apparently there's witchcraft involved and it should never be touched. Transmission oil is subjected to extremes of temperature and degrades over time. And I do not believe that failures are common because fluid is replaced. I suggest it's more likely that the fluid was replaced in an attempt to cure a fault, or that the wrong fluid was used, or incorrect amounts of said fluid. How many engines have you seen fail due to a correctly done oil change? I'm guessing zero. The same CANNOT be said for gearbox oil changes. I am very much more inclined to follow the advice of a specialist who has been in the business 20+ years and deals with a number of gearboxes each and every day. Notice how I stated not to change it if you DO NOT have DOCUMENTED HISTORY of it being replaced periodically in the past. If you know its been done at 60k and 120k, sure do it at 200k. However, if you're at 150k with no history of it being done, don't touch it. EDIT: My gearchanges are smooth as butter too, 218k and no gearbox oil change. It's totally relevant. Oil is a lubricant, designed to work in a particular environment. Transmission oil does more than just lubricate. Just because gearboxes see less stress than engines doesn't negate the requirement to change the oil when it degrades - which it always will. I think your specialist is spreading old wives tales. If a change of gearbox oil results in a knackered gearbox, then the gearbox was already knackered. Changing fluid does not break gearboxes - rather, not changing gearbox fluid breaks gearboxes. Perhaps your specialist friend understands that some customers will be cynical when told that their gearbox was already buggered before the fluid was changed.

Sorry but that's just rubbish. The idea that a periodic fluid change will damage an automatic gearbox is just complete lunacy.

Your experienced specialist would no doubt hold a different opinion if anyone gave the same advice when it came to engine oil. I simply do not understand why on every other aspect of a vehicle, people recommend periodic fluid changes, but when it comes to transmission fluid, apparently there's witchcraft involved and it should never be touched. Transmission oil is subjected to extremes of temperature and degrades over time. And I do not believe that failures are common because fluid is replaced. I suggest it's more likely that the fluid was replaced in an attempt to cure a fault, or that the wrong fluid was used, or incorrect amounts of said fluid.

"Filled for life" is a marketing trick designed to reduce the service cost of a vehicle, so that fleet managers are more likely to buy said vehicle. The fluid is certainly for life, although the life of the gearbox will be reduced if the fluid isn't changed. Silly. Gearboxes are filled with oil, oil that will, over time, degrade in quality. It really doesn't matter if it's on the schedule or not, it should be replaced periodically, just like any other vehicle fluid. Any filters and gaskets should be replaced at the same time. Your mechanic is correct, most of the fluid will be in the torque converter, although a fair bit may be in whatever oil coolers the transmission is connected to. Another way to get it all out is simply to disconnect one of the transmission oil cooler lines and run the engine until the oil has been pumped out completely (shut the engine off once the system is empty). This is certainly a common procedure on Mercedes cars but you may want to check if it's ok to do on Lexus boxes. FYI, when we changed the transmission fluid on my Mercedes at about 160,000 miles, it came out black as the ace of spades. The replacement fluid was bright red.